China urges US, Iran to avoid return of war, backs ‘lawful rights’ of coastal nations in Hormuz

• Beijing urges against spreading war and hurting more innocent people in Middle East, says foreign ministry

 BEIJING: China on Tuesday urged the US and Iran to avoid returning to war after Washington announced that it would reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.

“China is deeply concerned over resumed military conflict in the Gulf region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.

Lin urged the relevant parties to “heed strong call for peace and stability in the region, remain calm, exercise restraint, safeguard hard-won ceasefire, avoid return of war.”

“More importantly,” Lin stressed the US and Iran should “prevent fighting from spreading and hurting more innocent people.”

“Respect for the lawful rights and interests of the coastal countries of the Strait of Hormuz, and an early resumption of normal and safe passage in the strait, is what the international community wants to see,” he added.

“The relevant parties need to work in same direction and see proper settlement,” said the spokesman.

China’s statement came as the US and Iran continued military strikes, with the conflict seeing fresh escalation amid attacks on vessels in Strait of Hormuz.

The latest incidents came amid renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz following the start of the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28.

Washington and Tehran signed Islamabad memorandum of understanding last month, including a Qatar- and Pakistan-brokered ceasefire as a step toward a final agreement to end the war. However, US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire "is over" following renewed hostilities.