China says US gave no warning before Iran attack, urges end to hostilities

Beijing said Washington gave the government no advance warning of its attack on Iran, as it called for an immediate end to the hostilities.

“I can say that China was not informed beforehand,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday.

She added that her nation “is deeply concerned that the spillover of the fighting has affected other countries in the region,” and that “we urge parties to stop the military operations.”

One Chinese national who was wounded in the attack on Tehran has died, she announced, adding that more than 3,000 others have been evacuated from Iran.

She condemned the Trump administration’s attack, adding that “China strongly deplores” the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The conflict comes at a sensitive time in China-US relations. The two sides are trying to keep in place a one-year trade truce clinched by US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping .

Trump is also set to visit Beijing later this month. When asked about plans for that visit, Mao said she had no information to offer.