Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged greater cooperation between India and China amid escalating tensions in West Asia.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing, Wang emphasised the need for the two nations to support each other's presidencies of BRICS over the next two years.

He highlighted the potential for India and China to present a united front, stating that together they could bring new hope to the Global South. Wang positioned this partnership as a stabilising force for developing nations during a period of global upheaval, particularly the intensifying US-Iran conflict.

Wang Yi strongly condemned the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, describing the escalation as something that should never have happened. He called for an immediate end to hostilities and a swift return to diplomatic negotiations, insisting that military power would never resolve the region's deep-seated crisis.

The Chinese minister warned that reliance on force undermines the international order. "A strong fist does not mean strong reason," he declared. "The world cannot return to the law of the jungle."

Wang expressed firm opposition to any efforts to destabilise the Iranian government. He asserted there is no popular support for regime change in Iran, and such moves would only inflame regional tensions further.

This statement from Beijing coincides with recent Israeli military actions. The Israel Defence Forces announced that the Israeli Air Force conducted targeted strikes on multiple Iranian military assets, including fuel storage complexes belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran.

Guided by IDF intelligence, the operation hit hubs used for distributing fuel to Iranian armed units. The IDF stated that the strikes significantly damaged Iran's military infrastructure, sharing a graphic of a targeted fuel storage facility.

US President Donald Trump claimed significant victories in the conflict. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, he asserted that the United States had wiped out Iran's entire leadership, calling it the removal of a major "cancer" from the earth.

Trump denied US responsibility for bombing an elementary girls' school in Iran, instead blaming Iran due to the inaccuracy of its munitions. "They have no accuracy whatsoever," he said. "It was done by Iran."

The president boasted of decimating Iran's military capabilities. He detailed the destruction of 44 naval ships, the entire air force, most missiles, drone production, and key leadership. Missile launches from Iran have dropped sharply, he added.

Trump dismissed earlier timelines for the conflict, stating, "Whatever it takes." He noted that Iranian rocket launchers—difficult and expensive to produce—have been reduced by about 70 per cent, with overall output at nine per cent of initial levels.

Despite this, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff indicated diplomacy remains possible. Aboard Air Force One, he recalled failed prior negotiations where Iran insisted on its right to enrich uranium to 60 per cent—enough for 11 bombs—and refused concessions.

The conflict stems from a joint US-Israeli strike on 28 February that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures. Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles and drones targeting US assets and allies, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan.

This has widened the West Asia conflict, heightening risks for civilians and expatriates. Wang Yi's call for India-China unity within BRICS underscores Beijing's strategy to counter Western dominance amid these developments.

ANI