Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian has repeated China's call for all parties to immediately cease military operations, de-escalate the situation, and prevent further disruption to regional stability and the global economy.

Lin made the remarks at Monday's daily news briefing when asked for China's response to claims by US President Donald Trump that the United States was discussing jointly ensuring safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz with other countries.

"The recent tension in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz has impacted international cargo and energy trade routes, undermining peace and stability in the region and the world," Lin said.

"We are maintaining communication with all parties on the current situation and are committed to promoting de-escalation and cooling down of the situation," he added.

JERUSALEM -- The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it has begun "limited and targeted ground operations" against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at expanding the forward defence area.

Gulf countries reported fresh cross-border attacks on Sunday, a day after Iran urged civilians to evacuate three major ports in the United Arab Emirates that it labeled "legitimate targets" for use by US military forces in strikes against Iran.

As the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel entered its third week with no signs of de-escalation, Washington has sharply raised the stakes by targeting Iran's most critical oil export lifeline.

In recent days, the US has carried out strikes on more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island — the strategic choke point handling roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports — marking a dangerous new phase of the escalating conflict.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that no specific initiative has been proposed to end the conflict.

"The end of the war depends on guaranteeing that it will not be repeated and on paying compensation," he said in an interview with news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Araghchi said earlier that the US attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from two locations in the UAE. He called the situation extremely dangerous and said Iran would exercise restraint to avoid striking civilian-populated areas in the UAE.

Behind the scenes, resentment has already been mounting in Gulf Arab states over being drawn into a war that they neither initiated nor endorsed, but are now bearing economic and security costs, sources told Reuters.

Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the president of the UAE, said on social media late on Saturday that his country has the right to defend itself but "still prioritizes reason and de-escalation, and continues to exercise restraint".

Intercepting projectiles

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have all alerted residents that they were working to intercept incoming projectiles. In a statement, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they launched 10 missiles and an unidentified number of drones against US forces at the UAE's Al Dhafra air base.

However, there were no signs of an attack on Dubai's Jebel Ali Port — the busiest in the Middle East — or Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port. Debris from an intercepted Iranian drone struck an oil facility at Fujairah Port, the third targeted hub, with TV footage showing plumes of thick black smoke rising into the air.

Authorities said civil defense teams were working to manage the situation and urged the public not to spread misinformation, advising reliance solely on official updates.

Kharg, a small coral island around 30 kilometers off Iran's southwestern coast, is where petroleum from the country's oilfields arrives through undersea pipelines to be loaded onto tankers.

Oil exports from the island were continuing normally despite the US attack, Ehsan Jahanian, deputy governor of Bushehr Province, was quoted by Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency as saying.

In a phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Iran's Araghchi urged other countries to "refrain from any action that could lead to escalation and expansion of the conflict", according to an Iranian foreign ministry statement.

His remarks came after Washington called for warships from other nations to help protect world oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been virtually blocked by the threat of Iranian attacks.

US President Donald Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC News that Washington is not ready to strike a deal with Iran because "the terms are not good enough".

The initial attacks "completely demolished" most of the Kharg Island, he said. "We may hit it a few more times just for good measure."

Meanwhile, Iran's joint military command accused "the enemy" — the US and Israel — of using replica Iranian drones to attack neighboring countries and shift blame to Tehran, state media reported on Sunday.

The statement said copies of Iran's Shahed-136 drone, designated LUCAS, were used to hit "unrelated targets in regional states", including attacks in Turkiye, Iraq and Kuwait. No evidence was provided to support the claim.

Araghchi also told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Tehran has information that the US and Israel are launching attacks from certain locations against Arab states in the West Asia region, questioning the origin of attacks on them that have been blamed on Iran.

In another development, the Revolutionary Guards vowed on Sunday to hunt down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"If this criminal, the killer of children, remains alive, we will spare no effort to track down and eliminate him with all our strength," the Guards said in a statement.

Agencies contributed to this story.

cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn

TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has information the United States and Israel are launching attacks from certain locations against Arab states in the West Asia region.

He made the remarks in an interview with pan-Arab news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, parts of which were published Sunday, questioning the origin of attacks on regional Arab states that have been blamed on Iran.

Araghchi said Iran is ready to meet with regional states and form a joint committee to investigate the nature of the attacked targets.

Iran's strikes only targeted US bases and interests in retaliation for attacks launched from those sites, he added.

Araqchi said the United States has developed a drone similar to Iran's Shahed 136, named "LUCAS," to target locations in Arab countries.

He also accused Israel of targeting Arab civilians to sabotage their relations with Iran, adding, "Iran has not targeted any civilian or residential areas in the region so far."

He said contacts continue with neighbors like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman, and that regional countries are mediating to reduce tensions and propose ideas to end the war.

Commenting on the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi said it is open to all except US and US-allied ships.

He described Iran's situation as "stable," noting no defections in state or military institutions, and that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in good health and fully in charge.

Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said Sunday that a recent drone attack on Riyadh region and the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia was not related to Iran, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Also on Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Araghchi spoke by phone Saturday night with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot to discuss the regional situation.

Araghchi said the United States and Israel are the sole causes of insecurity in West Asia and the Strait of Hormuz, calling on all countries to condemn the "aggressors' criminal act" of attacking Iran and avoid escalating the conflict.

He also said Israel's "aggression and hegemony" are the root cause of instability in Lebanon, noting that peace there depends on ending Israel's "occupation, attacks and aggressions."

On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and US bases and assets across the Middle East.

JERUSALEM -- Shrapnel from an Iranian missile fired into central Israel has hit the residential building used by the US consul in Israel, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported on Sunday.

Gulf countries reported fresh cross-border attacks on Sunday, a day after Iran urged civilians to evacuate three major ports in the United Arab Emirates that it labeled "legitimate targets" being used by US military forces for strikes against Iran.

As the three-week-old conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel shows no sign of de-escalation, Washington has sharply raised the stakes by targeting Iran's most critical oil export lifeline.

In recent days, the US has carried out strikes on more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island — the strategic chokepoint handling roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports — marking a dangerous new phase of the escalating conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that no specific initiative has been proposed to end the war so far. "The end of the war depends on guaranteeing that it will not be repeated and on paying compensation," he said in an interview with Al Araby Al Jadeed.

He said earlier that the US attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from two locations in the UAE: Ras Al-Khaimah and a site "very close to Dubai". He called the situation extremely dangerous and said Iran would exercise restraint to avoid striking civilian-populated areas in the UAE.

Behind the scenes, resentment has already been mounting in Gulf Arab states at being drawn into a war they neither initiated nor endorsed, but are now bearing economic and security costs for, sources told Reuters.

Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the president of the UAE, said on social media late on Saturday that his country has the right to defend itself but "still prioritizes reason and de-escalation, and continues to exercise restraint".

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all alerted residents that they were working to intercept incoming projectiles. In a statement, Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), said they launched 10 missiles and an unidentified number of drones against US forces at the UAE's al-Dhafra airbase.

But there was no sign of an attack on Dubai's Jebel Ali port — the Middle East's busiest — or Abu Dhabi's Khalifa port. Debris from an intercepted Iranian drone struck an oil facility at Fujairah port, the third targeted hub, with TV footage showing plumes of thick black smoke rising into the air. Authorities said civil defense teams were working to manage the situation and urged the public not to spread misinformation, advising reliance solely on official updates.

Kharg, a small coral island around 30 kilometers off the south-western coast, is where petroleum from Iran's oilfields arrives through undersea pipelines to be loaded on to tankers. Oil exports from the island were continuing normally despite the US attack, Ehsan Jahanian, deputy governor of Bushehr Province, was quoted by the IRNA news agency as saying.

US President Donald Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC News that the US is not ready to strike a deal with Iran because "the terms are not good enough". He added that initial attacks "completely demolished" most of the island and that "we may hit it a few more times just for good measure".

Meanwhile, Iran's joint military command accused "the enemy" — the US and Israel — of using replica Iranian drones to attack neighboring countries and shift blame to Tehran, state media reported on Sunday.

The statement said copies of Iran's Shahed-136 drone, designated LUCAS, were used to hit "unrelated targets in regional states", including attacks in Turkiye, Iraq and Kuwait. No evidence was provided to support the claim.

In another development, the IRGC vowed on Sunday to hunt down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a statement carried by state media, the IRGC said: "If this criminal, the killer of children, remains alive, we will spare no effort to track down and eliminate him with all our strength."

Since the US and Israel launched the war against Iran on Feb 28, more than 2,000 people have been killed, the majority in Iran, while major disruption has been caused to global oil supplies, pushing international prices higher.

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he's not ready to make a deal to end the military campaign against Iran "because the terms aren't good enough yet."

"Iran wants to make a deal, and I don't want to make it because the terms aren't good enough yet," he said of ending the war with Iran in an interview with NBC News, adding that any terms will have to be "very solid."

Trump, though declining to tell what his terms would be, said that a commitment from Iran to completely abandon any nuclear ambitions would be part of those terms for a ceasefire.

His remarks came two weeks after the United States and Israel started massive attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, which are disrupting global shipping, sending oil prices soaring, and shaking the global economy.

As the strikes entered the third week, they are wreaking increasingly severe havoc on global energy and economic markets.

Trump said he is asking the countries affected by the war to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open and safe amid surges in global oil prices.

The strait is one of the world's most critical shipping lanes, particularly for oil tankers. Trump said Saturday that several countries have committed to helping secure the strait, but declined to name any of them.

"They've not only committed, but they think it's a great idea," he said.

In a post on Truth Social earlier on Saturday, Trump called on the countries that receive oil through the strait to "take care of that passage," claiming the United States will "coordinate" the joint efforts.

Separately, he wrote in another post that many countries "will be sending war ships" to keep the strait open, without offering any details.

When asked in the telephone interview with NBC News whether the US Navy would start escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the president said, "I don't want to tell you anything about that," but added that "it's possible."

WASHINGTON -- The US forces "executed a large-scale precision strike" on Kharg Island, a key oil export hub of Iran, on Friday night, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed on Saturday.

"U.S. forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure," CENTCOM said in a post on X.

The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the post said.

Kharg Island lies in the Persian Gulf about 25 km off Iran's coast and accounts for about 90 percent of Iran's crude exports.

US President Donald Trump said Friday night on social media that the bombing "totally obliterated" the military targets in Kharg Island, and threatened to target the strategic island's oil infrastructure if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.

In response, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, warned Saturday that any attack on Iran's oil and energy infrastructure would trigger retaliation against regional facilities linked to US companies.

CAIRO -- The Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route, remains open and under Iranian control, a senior Iranian commander said on Saturday, amid rising tensions with the United States and its allies.

Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, said in a statement that claims by the United States about destroying Iran's navy or providing safe escort for oil tankers were false, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

"The Strait of Hormuz has not been militarily blocked and is merely under control," the statement said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed the message, telling US media that the strait remained open for international shipping except for vessels belonging to the United States, Israel, and their allies.

"The Strait of Hormuz is open. It is only closed to the tankers and ships belonging to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies. Others are free to pass," Araghchi said.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passes. In his first message as Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei pledged to maintain leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged countries dependent on oil shipments through the strait to take responsibility for keeping it open, with American assistance. Washington has been trying to ease high oil prices amid the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran, triggering Iran's retaliations on US assets across the region.

BEIRUT -- Hezbollah fighters clashed directly with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese border town of Khiam on Saturday night, the militant group said, as Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine people across southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said its fighters engaged Israeli troops using light and medium weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, with fighting still ongoing at the time of the statement.

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine people and wounded seven others across southern Lebanon Saturday night.

In the border district of Marjayoun, an airstrike on a house in Qantara killed four members of the Al-Saghir family, including both parents and their two children. In the nearby Nabatieh district, four members of the Al-Souli family died when Israeli warplanes struck a house in Mayfadoun where they had taken refuge after fleeing their home village of al-Taybeh. The dead included two brothers, the wife of one and their child. Five others were wounded. A separate strike in Majdal Selm killed one person and wounded two.

Hezbollah said it carried out multiple retaliatory strikes against Israeli military targets, including rocket barrages near the Khiam detention center and the Metula site. The group also claimed to have destroyed an Israeli tank with a guided missile near al-Taybeh and launched a drone attack on a maintenance facility south of Haifa.

The fighting marks a sharp escalation since Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel on March 2 -- its first since a ceasefire took effect Nov 27, 2024 -- prompting an Israeli military campaign of airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs.

BEIRUT -- Israel launched a heavy airstrike on Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Saturday night, local media reported.

The densely populated area is widely known as a stronghold of the militant group Hezbollah and has been a frequent target of Israeli military operations. Details on casualties or the extent of damage were not immediately available.

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Saturday on social media that "many countries" would send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, without offering any details.

"Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe," he wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He added that "the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!"

The US president told reporters on Friday that his country's Navy will soon start escorting tankers through the strait. "It'll happen soon, very soon," he said.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday called for the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping route carrying one-fifth of oil consumed globally, and pledged to open new fronts in his country's conflict with the United States and Israel.

Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani said Thursday that "the current situation in the region, including in the Strait of Hormuz, is ... the direct consequence of the destabilizing actions of the United States in launching aggression against Iran and undermining regional security."

Drone attack hits US embassy in Baghdad: media

TEHRAN -- US and Israeli military strikes have killed 210 students and teachers in Iran and injured another 160 since Feb 28, Iran's Fars News Agency reported on Saturday, citing the country's education minister.

The United Nations Security Council met on Thursday to discuss issues related to Iran's nuclear program amid sharp divisions among members over UN sanctions and the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

China's permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, told the Security Council during a mandated meeting of the 1737 Sanctions Committee that China is "seriously concerned" that the US decision to hold this meeting now will aggravate tensions in the Middle East and harm prospects for a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue.

"Against the backdrop of renewed fighting in the Middle East and an unprecedentedly complex and severe situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue, the president of the council insists on holding this meeting, which will aggravate contradictions and confrontations among all parties and undermine the prospects for a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue," said Fu.

The meeting took place as part of the council's consideration of a sanctions committee established in 2006 to oversee sanctions on Iran's nuclear program. The committee was required to report to the council every 90 days.

The committee was suspended under Resolution 2231 following the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

In August, France, Germany and the UK, known as the E3, triggered the JCPOA's "snapback" mechanism to restore UN sanctions, following the United States' withdrawal from the agreement in 2018. Israel, the United States and several European countries say Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran denies this.

The US, which holds the council presidency this month, convened the meeting to resume reporting by the sanctions committee. While the US on Thursday accused China and Russia of "blocking" the committee's work, the two countries opposed the move, saying the committee no longer exists.

"China has repeatedly pointed out that the E3's attempt to trigger the snapback mechanism has procedural and legal flaws. Resolution 2231 expired on Oct 18 last year, and the Security Council has terminated its consideration of the Iranian nuclear issue," said Fu.

Fu added that China supports the procedural motion proposed by Russia's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya and "does not intend to comment on the work of the committee".

"The United States and Israel must immediately stop military operations, refrain from attacking Iranian facilities under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards, avoid further escalation and prevent the conflict from spreading across the Middle East," said Fu.

He said the crisis was "triggered by the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA" and by its military actions with Israel during negotiations with Iran, saying the US' actions "violate international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter".

"European countries should stop fueling the tension and play a constructive role in easing the situation," Fu added.

Fu said the Security Council's actions "cannot serve as a tool for sanctions or the political agenda of individual countries" and "countries should stop politicizing the council".

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com

South Africa is bracing for impacts from heightened tensions in the Middle East, including soaring energy prices, logistics disruptions and rising trade costs.

Raymond Parsons, a lecturer at South Africa's North-West University Business School, said the energy shock from the Middle East "immediately raises red flags" for the economic outlook of many countries, although some economies are more vulnerable than others.

"Western Cape exporters and the agricultural sector are already reporting logistical disruptions and rising input costs as a result of the Middle East war," Parsons said.

The latest cargo movement update by the South African Association of Freight Forwarders said the shipping sector is facing pronounced cost-push inflation as expenses rise sharply across several areas.

The report noted that prices for bunker fuel, used by ships, are surging in line with global oil market volatility, while elevated war-risk premiums and conflict-related surcharges are increasingly driving up costs of both imports and exports.

It also highlighted growing capacity constraints, as longer voyage distances and schedule disruptions reduce effective global shipping capacity and increase inventory risks for traders.

Dawie Roodt, an economist in South Africa, said two domestic vulnerabilities could worsen the impact in South Africa: reduced refinery capacity and uncertainty over the country's strategic fuel reserves.

He noted that the country is increasingly dependent on imported refined products such as diesel, which is currently in short supply globally.

According to South Africa's Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, diesel, which powers most of South Africa's land-based freight transport, rose by between 62 and 65 cents ($0.03) per liter, translating to an increase of more than 3 percent.

'Rule of thumb'

Parsons explained that the International Monetary Fund uses "rule of thumb", suggesting that an oil price of $100 per barrel could shave about 0.4 percent off global growth, while adding about 1.2 percent to global inflation.

"Vulnerable economies on the energy front range from the EU to Thailand and South Africa," Parsons said, noting that South Africa is a net importer of petroleum, with much of it sourced from the United Arab Emirates and India.

The impact, he said, will depend on which economies are large energy importers, how long the conflict lasts, and how long oil prices remain high. He warned that if the conflict persists, fuel prices could continue to rise and affect South Africa and other countries.

"With the present combination of a weakening rand against the dollar, together with higher oil prices, the risks to fuel prices for South Africa in the near future are therefore firmly on the upside. These outcomes will have negative implications for inflation, growth, and business confidence."

South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said in a statement on Tuesday night that it is "closely monitoring developments" in the Middle East and their possible effect on global oil markets and fuel prices.

"Unfortunately, the continued rise in international crude oil prices is expected to result in higher fuel prices at the pump from April 2026," the statement said.

Thembisa Fakude, director at Africa-Asia Dialogues, an intellectual think tank on geopolitics in South Africa, said the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz would have a "ripple effect" on South Africa and other countries.

He noted that South Africa trades extensively with Gulf countries and that the conflict is already affecting the movement of goods.

Edith Mutethya in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this story.

The escalating conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran continued to ratchet up tensions on Friday as it was about to enter its third week. The death toll has surpassed 2,000 people across the region amid growing global concerns about a possible energy crisis.

The Red Cross Society of China will provide the Iranian Red Crescent Society with $200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance as special funds to offer condolences and support to the parents of students killed in an attack on a girls' primary school in southern Iran.

"We express our deep condolences over the deaths of the students killed at the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Iran's Hormozgan Province and extend our sincere sympathies to their families," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday, announcing the aid.

"Attacking schools and harming children constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and gravely offends the moral conscience of humanity."

According to media reports, an ongoing military investigation has preliminarily determined that a US missile hit an Iranian primary school. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said 175 people, including children, were killed in the strike.

Iran's navy said on Friday that it had earlier launched a coastal anti-ship missile at the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln roughly 340 kilometers off Iran's maritime borders in the Sea of Oman. Iran's state TV reported that in the wake of the strike, the US vessel and its accompanying strike group were seen "fleeing the area at high speed".

But the claim was quickly dismissed by US officials, who said there was no evidence the warship had been targeted or struck. The US has deployed two aircraft carriers — the other being the USS Gerald R. Ford — to the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump said oil tankers should "show some guts" and sail through the Strait of Hormuz, even as Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday that the US military was currently "not ready" to escort commercial tankers through the vital waterway.

Oil prices have hovered around the $100 per barrel mark even though the International Energy Agency has agreed to coordinate the release of a record 400 million barrels from petroleum reserves worldwide, marking the largest such release in the agency's history.

Analysts said that the growing gridlock of roughly 1,000 ships trapped in the Persian Gulf amounts to a shipping logjam that threatens to eclipse the scale of the "tanker war crisis" of the 1980s Iran-Iraq War.

Energy crisis looms

Traders are bracing for weeks, if not months, of turmoil in energy markets amid scant signs of an imminent diplomatic breakthrough, said retired Royal Navy officer Tom Sharpe. While 150 ships typically transit the Strait of Hormuz daily to maintain normal energy supplies, only a trickle of vessels is navigating the route at present.

"There was a much higher tolerance to run the gauntlet back then but the threat was less and the Iranians had nothing like the (missile and drone) arsenal they have now, which is more like the tanker wars on steroids," Sharpe said.

Heavy exchanges of drones and missiles rippled across the region on Friday. To date, more than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon, over 1,300 in Iran, and a dozen in Israel. At least seven US service members have lost their lives in the fighting. Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said on Friday that its forces had intercepted more than 50 drones, including one targeting the Diplomatic Quarter in its capital.

In the UAE, debris fell on the facade of a building in central Dubai on Friday morning. The Dubai Media Office said no injuries were reported after what it described as a "minor incident". Since the Iranian attacks on the Emirates began, the country has "engaged" 278 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,540 drones.

In Iraq, a US military refueling plane crashed on Thursday, though the US military said it was "not due to hostile fire or friendly fire". However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, said it downed the aircraft with a missile, killing all crew members on board.

In another sign of the war's spread, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the death of the country's first soldier in Iraq's Erbil region.

Contact the writers at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn.

The escalating conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran continued to ratchet up tensions on Friday as it nearly enters the third week. The death toll has surpassed 2,000 people across the region amid growing global concerns about a possible energy crisis.

The Red Cross Society of China will provide the Iranian Red Crescent Society with $200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance, specifically to offer condolences and support to the parents of students killed in an attack on a girls' primary school in southern Iran.

"We express our deep condolences over the death of the students killed at the Shajareh Tayebeh primary school in Iran's Hormozgan province and extend our sincere sympathies to their families," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

"Attacking schools and harming children constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and gravely offends the moral conscience of humanity."

According to media reports, an ongoing military investigation has preliminarily determined that a US Tomahawk missile strike that hit an Iranian primary school, killing more than 160 people — most of them pupils — resulted from a target error.

Iran's navy said on Friday that it had earlier launched a coastal anti-ship missile at the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln roughly 340 kilometers off Iran's maritime borders in the Sea of Oman. Iran's state TV reported that in the wake of the strike, the US vessel and its accompanying strike group were seen "fleeing the area at high speed".

But the claim was quickly dismissed by US officials, who said there was no evidence the warship had been targeted or struck. The US has deployed two aircraft carriers — the other being the USS Gerald R. Ford — to the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump said oil tankers should "show some guts" and sail through the Strait of Hormuz, even as Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday that the US military was currently "not ready" to escort commercial tankers through the vital waterway.

Oil prices have hovered around the $100 per barrel mark even though the International Energy Agency has agreed to coordinate the release of a record 400 million barrels from petroleum reserves worldwide, marking the largest such release in the agency's history.

Analysts said that the growing gridlock of roughly 1,000 ships trapped in the Persian Gulf amounts to a shipping logjam that threatens to eclipse the scale of the "tanker war crisis" of the 1980s Iran-Iraq War.

Traders are bracing for weeks, if not months, of turmoil in energy markets amid scant signs of an imminent diplomatic breakthrough, said retired Royal Navy officer Tom Sharpe. While 150 ships typically transit the Strait of Hormuz daily to maintain normal energy supplies, only a trickle of vessels is navigating the route at present.

"There was a much higher tolerance to run the gauntlet back then but the threat was less and the Iranians had nothing like the (missile and drone) arsenal they have now, which is more like the tanker wars on steroids," Sharpe said.

Heavy exchanges of drones and missiles rippled across the region on Friday. To date, more than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon, over 1,300 in Iran, and a dozen in Israel. At least seven US service members have lost their lives in the fighting.

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said on Friday that its forces had intercepted more than 50 drones, including one targeting the Diplomatic Quarter in its capital.

In the UAE, debris fell on the facade of a building in central Dubai on Friday morning. Dubai Media Office said no injuries were reported after what it described as a "minor incident". Since the Iranian attacks on the Emirates began, the country has "engaged" 278 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,540 drones.

In Iraq, a US military KC-135 refueling plane crashed on Thursday, though the US military said it was "not due to hostile fire or friendly fire". However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, said it downed the aircraft with a missile, killing all crew members on board.

In another sign of the war's spread, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the death of the country's first soldier in Iraq's Erbil region.

"Stop bombing Iran!" "Stop arming Israel!" "Stop the War!" Thousands of anti-war protesters marched through central London on Saturday, a week after the United States and Israel started a war on Iran with airstrikes that killed Iranian leaders as well as hundreds of civilians.

Drums, chants, and flags filled the street as demonstrators rallied in front of the US Embassy in the United Kingdom at Nine Elms Lane, where Lindsey German, convener of the Stop the War coalition, spoke on the stage: "This war is spreading, and we will pay the price!

"We will pay the price in terms of weapons. We will pay the price because of the energy crisis, and we will pay the human cost because terrorism will grow as a result of these attacks ...

"Our message to (UK Prime Minister) Keir Starmer is very clear: Stop appeasing (US President) Donald Trump all the way to World War III … Stop letting British bases be used for America's deadly, illegal attacks!"

Similar rallies were also held in several cities across Europe, including in Madrid, Paris, and Milan, over the weekend, reflecting a growing anti-war public sentiment, which has also been fueled by recent US military action against Venezuela and the threat to annex the Arctic island of Greenland.

Experts have urged Europe to pursue diplomacy to halt a spiraling conflict that is significantly undermining European security and economic interests, while countries' different relations with the US complicate their responses.

Last week, Spain's denial of the US to use its military bases triggered a direct trade embargo threat from the US president. However, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez didn't back down, reiterating that the position of his government can be summed up as "No to war".

In a speech on national television, Sanchez reminded the public about the result of Spain's involvement in the US-led invasion in Iraq in 2003.

"The world, Europe and Spain have been here before. Twenty-three years ago, another US administration dragged us into a war in the Middle East," he said. "The war in Iraq provoked a drastic increase in jihadist terrorism, a severe migration crisis in the eastern Mediterranean, and a widespread increase in energy, thus impacting the cost of the shopping basket and the cost of living."

But not all European leaders were as outspoken as Sanchez. While some European leaders have expressed concerns over the legality of the US-Israel attacks and the widening war in the Middle East, they have struggled to respond with a united front.

UK Prime Minister Starmer has said his government made a "deliberate" decision not to be involved in the initial strikes on Iran by the US and Israel and described the action "unlawful", adding that the use of British bases is limited to "defensive" purposes.

France's President Emmanuel Macron stated that US-Israel military operations in Iran were conducted "outside international law".

Koert Debeuf, distinguished adjunct professor in Middle East studies at the Brussels School of Governance, said: "European countries were quite shocked by what the US did — they were not even informed beforehand. But at the same time, they have not reacted very loudly. So I think they are shocked by this development, and they don't really know yet how to respond."

"You can see that they are hesitant to openly criticize the US. We see indirect reactions from leaders such as Germany's Chancellor (Friedrich Merz) and (President of the European Commission) Ursula von der Leyen. They are blaming Iran for the escalation, but they are not directly criticizing the American action," said Debeuf.

Ondrej Dostal, a Czech member of the European Parliament, sharply criticized the reaction of senior European Union officials, including von der Leyen, Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, and President of the European Council Antonio Costa.

"I am deeply shocked by the response of parts of the EU leadership," Dostal said. "Instead of clearly condemning the initial attack, they have inverted the roles of victim and aggressor and rushed to criticize Iran.

"This war will hurt all of us. Many people are already struggling with the rising cost of living, and higher gas and oil prices will only make daily life more difficult," he added.

Oil prices surge

In retaliation for the unprovoked airstrike, Iran has since launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and US military bases in the Gulf region, and blocked vessels belonging to the US, Israel, and European countries from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The near-standstill of maritime freight transport in one of the world's most strategically important energy corridors has now lasted a week.

Around 20 percent of the global oil supply and roughly one-fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas trade pass through the strait.

Energy markets reacted immediately to the shock. Crude oil reached almost $120 a barrel on Monday over fears that the war would cause prolonged disruption to energy supplies from the Middle East. Prices later dived to below $90 following Trump's comments, saying that the war in Iran is "very complete, pretty much". However, on Wednesday, crude oil jumped 4 percent as traders priced in supply disruption.

For Europe, the strait matters, as the continent's reliance on Gulf energy flows has grown considerably since it sharply reduced imports of Russian fossil fuels after 2022.

European natural gas futures on Monday jumped more than 14 percent to over 61 euros ($71) per megawatt-hour, hitting three-year highs, and extending last week's 67 percent surge, Euronews reported. Europe's gas reserves remain low, with EU storage levels below 30 percent and need refilling.

"It shows that European energy supply is more vulnerable to such geopolitical shocks than estimated due to its high dependence on imported fossil fuels … Peace is valuable to every nation of the world. For Europe, it's especially valuable because it saves not only lives, but also daily energy costs," said Qin Yan, a principal analyst at Norway-based ClearBlue Markets.

The war feels much closer when it spills over into everyday life. Motorists across the continent are already feeling it at the pump.

According to the General German Automobile Club, petrol grade Super E10 averaged 1.84 euros per liter on March 2, up 6.1 cents from Feb 27 and the highest level since May 2024. Diesel prices also climbed by 7 cents over the same period, their highest since October 2023.

The situation is somewhat better in Belgium, where a maximum petroleum price system helps prevent sharp increases. Even so, fears of rising fuel costs have prompted many motorists to fill up before prices climb further, leading to long queues at gas stations.

Flights could also become more expensive.

According to the BBC, the Gulf region supplies around half of Europe's jet fuel, and the disruption has caused the continent's benchmark jet fuel price to almost double, reaching heights not seen in recent years. Fuel typically makes up 20 to 40 percent of airlines' operating costs.

Many European airlines secure fuel through contracts that lock in fixed or capped prices months, or even years, in advance. By contrast, a number of large US carriers do not.

But President Trump said on Truth Social, "Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for USA and World, Safety and Peace", and "ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY."

How long the turmoil will last remains to be seen. Yet for Europeans, reassurance is scarce. The "ghosts of the 2022 energy crisis" still loom large as they brace for another shock beyond their control. As Politico wrote in its analysis, "it's all starting to feel very 2022".

Looming refugee crisis

The European Union Agency for Asylum warned on March 3 that conflict in Iran could trigger a refugee influx of "unprecedented magnitude", overwhelming EU borders and asylum systems.

In a report prepared before recent United States and Israeli strikes, it said displacement of just 10 percent of Iran's roughly 90 million people "would rival the largest refugee flows of recent decades".

Since strikes began on Feb 28, the crisis has intensified with further attacks on Tehran and Lebanon. Iranian displacement remains limited, but the agency warned continued fighting could lead to a "significant" escalation.

"We do not want to experience a Syrian scenario here," Merz said at a meeting of German industrial lobby groups in Munich last Friday. He appealed instead to leaders in Washington and Israel "to create the conditions as soon as possible for this country to be stabilized".

Tasha Kheiriddin, a Canadian political columnist, wrote for GZERO Media that the world is a very different place than it was in 2015, when the last exodus to Europe peaked, as governments that initially embraced refugees, including Germany and Sweden, have sharply reversed course in the decade since, adopting far more restrictive policies amid rising anti-immigration sentiment at home.

"We cannot have what we had 10 years ago, we cannot have another refugee crisis," Sweden's Minister for Migration, Johan Forssell, said last Thursday following a gathering of EU interior ministers in Brussels.

Who will take in people forced to flee becomes a prominent question.

The global displacement crisis is already at historic levels. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 123 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by the end of 2024 due to conflict, persecution and disasters — the highest number ever recorded — and the trend shows no sign of slowing.

The US is taking a similar "closed-door approach", Kheiriddin noted. The US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told a press conference last week that there were no plans to admit refugees and suggested a number of countries in the Middle East "would be capable" of sheltering displaced people "if need be".

Conflicting interests

In addition to the surge of energy costs and possible refugee crisis, Jian Junbo, a researcher with the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, pointed out that the US-Israel attack on Iran threatens European interests in the Middle East, as many European countries have significant investments in the region, along with large numbers of citizens living and working there.

"Any escalation could therefore put both economic assets and the safety of European nationals at risk," he said, adding that the crisis also exposes divisions within Europe, as European countries have taken different positions on both Iran and US actions.

Within two days of the beginning of the war, more than 100,000 British nationals had registered concerns with consular authorities in the Middle East, while Ireland's foreign ministry estimated some 20,000 of its nationals were stuck in the conflict zone.

According to Euractiv, ten EU countries, including Italy, France, and Belgium, have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism which provides logistical support, expertise and EU co-financing for evacuation flights.

Both the UK and France have been moving their warships to the conflict region to protect their citizens, assets, and partners.

However, Song Luzheng, a France-based scholar and commentator, pointed out that the latest US-Israeli military action against Iran has only received limited support from European allies.

"Europe has offered little backing for Washington, either diplomatically or operationally, which has clearly frustrated the US," said Song.

"For many Europeans, Iran itself is not the primary threat; rather, it is the United States under Donald Trump. Although Europe also opposes Iran, Washington's approach is widely seen as a serious disruption to the international order. This has become a major source of tension between Europe and the US," he added.

After the use of force against Venezuela and the threat to annex Greenland, the latest attack on Iran has severely shaken US credibility as a reliable ally for European countries, and pushed Europe to be a more autonomous geopolitical actor.

"However, in the short term, European governments have little incentive to escalate tensions with Washington over a war they neither initiated nor control … For now, Europe's strategy is likely to remain one of cautious distance: avoiding direct involvement in the conflict while focusing on the priorities that matter most to the continent itself," wrote Matthias Matthijs, senior fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations, a US think tank.

"That may not make for a particularly inspiring display of strategic leadership. But from the perspective of European policymakers, it may also be the most realistic option available at the moment," he said.

Contact the writers at xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn

What they said

"Firstly, we reject the breach of international law that protects us all, especially the most vulnerable members, the civilian population. Secondly, we must not assume that the world can only solve its problems through conflict and bombs. And finally, we must not repeat the mistakes of the past. In short, the position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war (No a la guerra)."

"An endless war is not in our interest. The same applies to a collapse of Iranian statehood or proxy conflicts fought on Iranian soil … Such scenarios could have far-reaching consequences for Europe, including for security, energy supply and migration."

"I think we have to deal with a situation in which the rules of international law have objectively broken down. I don't think they broke down with this episode because there are many precedents, but the situation is certainly one of great chaos."

"We are now seeing a regional conflict with unintended consequences. And the spillover is already a reality today – whether on energy and finance, trade and transport, or the displacement of people … And the longer-term impact is already posing existential questions. On the future of our international rules-based system, or on how Europe finds unity in these situations."

The Red Cross Society of China will provide the Iranian Red Crescent Society with $200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance, specifically to offer condolences and support to the parents of students killed after a girls' primary school in southern Iran was struck during the US-Israeli military operation against Iran.

"We express our deep condolences over the death of the students killed at the Shajareh Tayebeh primary school in Iran's Hormozgan province and extend our sincere sympathies to their families," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing, Guo said China stands ready to continue providing Iran with necessary assistance in the spirit of humanitarianism and to support the Iranian people in overcoming the current difficulties.

The spokesman said China condemns all indiscriminate attacks on civilians and non-military targets.

"Attacking schools and harming children constitutes an even more serious violation of international humanitarian law and gravely offends the moral conscience of humanity," he said.

According to media reports, an ongoing military investigation has preliminarily determined that a US Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian primary school that killed more than 160 people, most of them pupils, resulted from a target error.