Xi urges Iran and ‘especially Israel’ to cease fire during call with Putin

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have spoken by phone about the Middle East situation, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The phone conversation on Thursday afternoon came days after Israel initiated a large-scale military attack on Iran, which led to retaliation by Iran.

On Tuesday, Xi called for de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict to avoid further tensions, while emphasising that Beijing was prepared to “play a constructive role” in restoring peace, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Describing the tensions as deeply concerning for China, Xi said “all parties should work to de-escalate the conflict as soon as possible and avoid further escalation of tensions”.

“China stands ready to work with all parties to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Middle East,” Xi said on Tuesday, according to Xinhua.

More to follow…