China on Wednesday denounced a sharp escalation in hostilities in the Middle East after the United States struck dozens of targets in Iran, with the Foreign Ministry in Beijing warning both sides against "reigniting" the war in the Middle East.

"Reigniting the war is not in the interests of either side, and military means cannot solve the fundamental problems," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference, when asked about the strikes.

The reaction from China came as Qatar condemned the retaliatory strikes carried out by Iran against Kuwait and Bahrain and called for diplomacy to reduce tensions.

Qatar, a key intermediary in talks between Iran and the United States, said it "emphasises the need to spare the region the consequences of these unjustified attacks", in a foreign ministry statement posted on X.

Doha also emphasised the need to "pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, to de-escalate tensions, and to build upon the progress achieved under the memorandum of understanding".

The US military said it attacked Iran early on Wednesday after Iranian forces reportedly struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran said its attack on Bahrain and Kuwait were in retaliation for the American strikes on its territory.

Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said airlines should not operate within the airspace of Iran and Iraq, amid ongoing tensions and the potential for further military action.

The EASA said its bulletin for the airspaces of Iran and Iraq was valid until August 31.

The agency's previous bulletin, which expires on Wednesday, included Lebanon.

It had also asked airlines to exercise caution when operating within the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. (Agencies)



Edited by Edmond Fong