'Root cause of Hormuz issue lies in illegal attacks'
China urged all parties in the Middle East conflict to cease military operations and refrain from creating a more serious impact on the world economy and energy security, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday when asked to comment on US President Donald Trump's speech on Iran. "Military means cannot fundamentally solve the problem, and the escalation of the conflict is not in the interests of either side," she said. The root cause of the Strait of Hormuz blockage is the "illegal military operation in Iran", Mao said. Beijing again called for peace talks to try to end the crisis, she added. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, that China stands ready to work with Bahrain to push for a ceasefire, restore peace and achieve lasting stability in the Middle East. Zayani, current chairman of the ministerial council of the Gulf Cooperation Council, briefed Wang on the latest developments in the Middle East and Bahrain's position, noting that the Gulf countries currently face severe security challenges and the shipping passage in the Strait of Hormuz has been obstructed. Wang made clear China's principled stance of opposing aggression and advocating for peace. Iran has threatened "crushing" attacks on the United States and Israel, firing missiles at Tel Aviv after Trump vowed to bomb the Islamic republic "back to the Stone Ages" in his speech on Wednesday evening. (Xinhua & agencies) Edited by Edmond Fong