China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin on 5 February voiced his condemnation of the recent US attacks against Syria and Iraq, noting that the security and sovereignty of all countries must be respected.
“Syria and Iraq are sovereign countries,” said Wenbin. “China opposes any act that violates the UN Charter and infringes upon other countries’ territorial sovereignty and security. The current situation in the Middle East is highly complex and sensitive.”
“China urges relevant parties to earnestly observe the international law, remain calm, exercise restraint, and prevent the tensions in the region from escalating or even spiraling out of control,” he continued.
In response to US strikes in Iraq and Syria, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that China opposes any actions that violate the UN Charter and infringe upon the territorial sovereignty and security of other countries. The current situation in the Middle East… pic.twitter.com/uNEdAOWJ2N
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) February 5, 2024
Alongside China, Russia has also condemned the US attacks. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Washington is attempting to escalate the tension in the region.
“It is clear that the airstrikes were specifically intended to further escalate the conflict,” Zakharova said. “By relentlessly attacking the facilities of allegedly pro-Iranian groups in Iraq and Syria, the United States has been purposefully attempting to draw the largest countries in the region into the conflict.”
Moscow has also requested a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting to discuss Washington’s actions in the region.
This comes after Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani denounced the strikes, describing them as a “strategic mistake.”
“Not to mention the United States’ all-out support for four months of relentless and brutal attacks by the Zionist regime against residents of Gaza and the West Bank, as well as military strikes against Yemen and the violation of this country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, last night’s attack on Syria and Iraq was yet another adventurous move and strategic mistake by the US government, which will have no result other than the escalation of tensions and instability in the region,” Kanaani said.
He further added that the attacks against Syria, Iraq, and Yemen were to ensure Israel’s interests in the region.
On 3 February, the US conducted airstrikes against 85 sites on the border regions connecting Iraq and Syria, which US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed belonged to the “Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its allies in Iraq and Syria.”
On 4 February, Iraqi parliament member Mustafa Sanad said in a statement that “Whenever news from the White House claims that US airstrikes are directed against Iranian-backed armed factions that targeted US bases in the region, and that these airstrikes are effective, be sure they are fake news. All of the strikes are aimed at Iraqi national forces associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, an official government entity.”