Chinese embassy in Kuwait confirms Nepalese killed by Iran strikes

The Chinese embassy in Kuwait said that a Nepalese driver working for a Chinese company has been killed as the United States and Iran returned to tit-for-tat strikes in the region.

The embassy also confirmed that no Chinese citizens were killed or injured in the incident.

Kuwait's Ministry of Defense has said that an Iranian attack targeted a building belonging to a Chinese company in the north of the country on July 30, killing one worker and causing extensive material damage to the facility and property losses to the company.

In a press statement carried by the Kuwait News Agency, Saud Al-Atwan, the ministry's official spokesperson, said that the relevant authorities have responded to the incident in coordination with the relevant agencies.

The latest casualty comes after the US Central Command said it launched strikes against Iran following Tehran's attempted attacks on US forces in the Middle East, heightening concerns of a widening war that has dragged more countries into the fray this week.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on Thursday that countries assisting the US would face "harsh consequences" if they do not correct their behavior.

"Countries that are involved in assisting the aggressor, if they do not correct their behavior, will receive a harsh response," the IRGC said, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency.

"The Strait of Hormuz is not reopenable as long as the excessive rhetoric and threats by US officials and their interference in maritime movements in the region continue, and threats and interventions will make the situation more difficult and more complicated," the IRGC said.

During a daily press briefing by the United Nations office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on July 29, Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised concerns that the conflict could widen if the parties do not return to negotiations.

"He has already made clear his concerns about any renewed fighting and any escalation and widening of the conflict," Haq said. "So, these are not positive developments, and he wants to make sure that the parties can cease fighting and again return to the diplomatic efforts, including the mediation efforts being pressed forward by Pakistan, Qatar, and others."

Cui Haipei in Dubai, UAE, contributed to this story.