“If the Middle East is unstable, the world will not be at peace,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday. “If the conflict escalates further, not only will the conflicting parties suffer greater losses, but regional countries will also suffer greatly.”

In the midst of escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls on China to prevent Iran from blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz, warning it would lead to catastrophic economic consequences for all involved.

The United States attacked three Iranian nuclear sites. Iran launched more missiles at Israel and vowed to defend itself.