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China offers $200,000 emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran after school attack.
Iran says death toll of US-Israeli strikes reaches 1,230.
Iran's IRGC official says will burn any ship trying to pass through Strait of Horm.
MADRID -- Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Wednesday denied claims by the White House that Spain had agreed to "cooperate" with the US military, calling the statement "categorically false," according to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.
"The spokeswoman may speak for the White House, but I am the foreign minister of Spain," Albares said when asked about remarks made earlier by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. "I categorically deny it."
The Spanish prime minister's office, the Moncloa Palace, also rejected the claim that Spain had agreed to "cooperate militarily," describing the White House statement as "false," the report said.
On March 3, US President Donald Trump, during a meeting with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, criticized Spain for refusing to raise its defense spending to the NATO target of 5 percent of GDP and for declining to allow the United States to use Spanish bases in its military strikes against Iran.
Trump described Spain's stance as "unfriendly" and threatened to cut off all trade ties with the country.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday reiterated Spain's opposition to the military actions launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, calling for an end to the escalation and saying Spain would not change its anti-war position out of fear of retaliation.
TEHRAN -- Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani said Wednesday the United States will have to pay a "heavy price" for killing the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Writing on social media platform X, Larijani said US President Donald Trump dragged the American people into an "unjust" war with Iran.
He added, "Now he must calculate: with over 500 American soldiers killed in just the past few days, does America still come first — or Israel?"
Khamenei, along with some of the leader's family members, as well as several senior Iranian military commanders, was killed on Saturday during the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran responded through waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US assets across the Middle East.
BAGHDAD -- A complete power outage occurred across all Iraqi governorates, Iraq's Ministry of Electricity said in a statement on Wednesday evening.
JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said it carried out large-scale airstrikes in eastern Tehran on Wednesday, targeting a sprawling military compound that houses multiple command centers for Iran's security and intelligence organizations.
In a statement, the military said the operation was directed at facilities used as headquarters for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite Quds Force, the Intelligence Directorate, the Basij volunteer force affiliated with the IRGC, internal security units, and the cyber warfare.
Iranian personnel responsible for operating the facility were also targeted, it said.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it is "continuing to deepen" its attacks across Iran, revealing that it had dropped more than 5,000 munitions on the country since the joint US-Israeli operation began on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Iran said 1,045 people have been killed in the country since Saturday as a result of the US-Israeli operation.
The joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran, entering its fifth day, has triggered a sharp escalation across the Middle East, setting off waves of missile exchanges, mounting casualties, and far-reaching political, security, and economic repercussions.
In the latest diplomatic efforts to promote peace, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held separate phone conversations on Wednesday with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, saying that China would send its special envoy on the Middle East issue to the region to conduct mediation.
During talks with his Saudi counterpart, Wang said that no matter the reason, indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable and any attacks targeting innocent civilians or nonmilitary facilities should be condemned.
In his call with the UAE minister, Wang said the spillover of war serves the interests of no party, adding that China supports regional countries in their continued efforts to resolve disputes through diplomatic means.
WASHINGTON -- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters.
"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters," Hegseth said at the Pentagon briefing on Wednesday. "Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo."
He further said it was the first sinking of an enemy vessel by a torpedo since World War II.
At least 80 people on board the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena were killed after the vessel was attacked and sunk by the US submarine in the Indian Ocean off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra said Wednesday.
The Iranian warship had taken part in a naval exercise held in the Bay of Bengal from Feb 18 to 25, according to the drill's website.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday that US forces have struck or sunk more than 20 Iranian vessels since the United States and Israel began a military operation against Iran on Saturday morning.
"Last night, CENTCOM added a Soleimani-class warship to the list," the command said on X.
BEIJING -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held a phone conversation with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates.
BEIJING -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held a phone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
TEHRAN -- Iran has decided on possible candidates for the post of supreme leader of the country, Seyed Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Assembly of Experts responsible for electing Iran's supreme leader, was quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency as saying on Wednesday.
The Foreign Ministry urged Chinese citizens on Wednesday to "temporarily avoid traveling to countries and regions surrounding Iran that have been impacted by military actions".
"Chinese citizens already in these countries and regions are advised to further enhance their personal safety precautions, avoid visiting sensitive locations such as military facilities, demonstrations, and gatherings," ministry's spokeswoman Mao Ning said at the daily news briefing.
When asked about the government's efforts to protect citizens in Iran and neighboring countries, Mao said that since the tension in Iran's security situation escalated, China has made multiple representations to relevant parties, urging them to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Iran and neighboring countries.
She noted that due to the military actions, airspace over some neighboring countries has been closed and international flights have been suspended, affecting the travel of Chinese citizens.
"In case of emergencies, please promptly contact local police and reach out to the Chinese embassy or consulate for assistance," she said.
zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
BEIJING -- The Strait of Hormuz and its adjacent waters are important international corridors for cargo and energy trade, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday, adding that maintaining security and stability in this region aligns with the common interests of the international community.
"China urges all parties to immediately cease military actions, avoid further escalation of tensions, and prevent instability that could have greater impacts on the global economy," the spokesperson said at a regular press briefing.
China's ambassador to the United Nations urged the international community on Monday to make the protection of children in armed conflict a top priority, while condemning acts that target children.
"China strongly condemns all acts that target children and urges parties to conflicts to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect children from the ravages of war, and uphold the minimum bottom line of human conscience," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, told a Security Council meeting.
Attacks on schools are among "the six grave violations against children identified by the UN", and must be met with "strong condemnation and firm opposition", Fu said.
He urged the international community to "intensify investigations and accountability for incidents that harm children and damage schools, and work together to prevent further atrocities".
Fu made the remarks at a meeting themed "Children, Technology and Education in Conflict", chaired by United States first lady Melania Trump, as Washington holds the rotating presidency of the council this month.
Monday's meeting came days after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, including an attack on a girls' elementary school in the country's south that Iranian state media reported killed more than 160 people.
"We are aware of reports from Iran on the death of possibly dozens of children, allegedly the result of a strike that hit an elementary school," Melania said.
Before the meeting, Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters that it was "deeply shameful and hypocritical" for the US to host a session on protecting children while launching airstrikes on Iranian cities and bombing schools.
Fu said children are "the most vulnerable and the most in need of protection in armed conflicts".
Conflicts are erupting in many parts of the world, and violations against children have been rising year after year, he said. China "is deeply concerned about the situation", he added.
Foundations of stability
"When children lose their right to education because of conflict, it not only affects their healthy growth but also undermines the foundations of national stability and development," Fu said. He urged the international community to work together to "alleviate the difficulties faced by children in accessing education in conflict-affected areas".
China urges all parties to conflicts to put the interests and well-being of the people first, he said, calling for "an immediate ceasefire and end the fighting and violence, resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation, adhere to political solutions to hotspot issues, and strengthen mediation efforts to prevent escalation".
"Promoting sustainable development is the long-term path," Fu said, stressing that "development is the key to breaking the cycle of violence, addressing the root causes of conflict and achieving lasting peace".
"The proper application of technology is an important means," he said, noting that digital tools can "significantly empower education for children affected by conflict". Meanwhile, technology must remain people-centered and avoid politicization and weaponization, he added.
Airstrikes across the Middle East showed no signs of abating on Tuesday, after Iran's retaliatory attacks hit United States and Israeli military and political assets in most Gulf states, as Israel dragged Lebanon deeper into the fray.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave approval to the military to "advance and seize additional controlling areas in Lebanon to prevent firing on Israeli border settlements".
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said earlier it had launched an attack on the Ramat David air base in northern Israel, targeting radar sites and control rooms at the base by deploying "a swarm of drones" at dawn on Tuesday in retaliation against Israeli strikes in several areas of Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported.
The same day, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense confirmed it intercepted and destroyed eight drones near Riyadh and Al-Kharj.
A "limited fire" broke out at the US embassy in Riyadh after two drones attacked the building. The US embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a shelter-in-place notification for its citizens in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran.
Saudi Arabia also halted some operations at its Ras Tanura oil refinery following an attack. The facility is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East and is a cornerstone of the country's energy sector. The complex has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day.
The Defense Ministry of the United Arab Emirates said its air defenses were engaging a "barrage" of ballistic missiles from Iran.
In the Emirate of Fujairah, authorities responded to a fire that broke out in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone after debris fell following the successful interception of a drone by air defense systems. The Fujairah Media Office reported no injuries.
Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed reports that its military headquarters — the Al Minhad Air Base just 24 kilometers south of Dubai — had been hit over the weekend.
Qatar's Defense Ministry said its air force shot down two Sukhoi Su-24 bombers — the first time a Gulf country has hit Iranian planes.
As the attacks widened to energy facilities, QatarEnergy, one of the world's biggest liquefied natural gas exporters, suspended production after drone strikes on two of its sites.
In Iran, heavy Israeli strikes targeted the state TV broadcaster and other areas in Tehran.
A commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz was "closed" and warned that vessels attempting to pass through the vital shipping lane would be attacked.
Meanwhile, Egypt and Iraq called for de-escalation to prevent the Middle East from sliding into "total chaos".
Urging a halt
Qatar, in its message to the United Nations concerning Iran's attack on its territory, reiterated its call for an immediate halt to all escalatory actions and a return to the negotiating table.
"Obviously, neither the US nor Israel bothered to calculate how this would affect the regional security or the global economy," Rasha Al Joundy, a senior researcher at the Dubai Public Policy Research Centre, told China Daily.
The Washington Post reported on Monday that two US Defense Department employees were wounded when an Iranian drone struck a hotel in Bahrain's capital, Manama.
Hadi Rahmat Purnama, chair of the Center for International Law Studies at the Faculty of Law at Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta, told China Daily that the definitions of legitimate targets are changeable.
Under International Humanitarian Law, a civilian building, such as an airport or hotel, loses its protected status and becomes a legitimate military target "if it is being used to effectively contribute to military action", Purnama said.
"Civilian buildings or infrastructure can become targets if used for tactical defense, shelter for combatants or storing military supplies," he said.
Even if the target is military, the attack "is illegal if the expected incidental loss of civilian life or damage to civilian property is excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated", he added.
Under the law, the party being attacked — the US or the host nation — also has an obligation to avoid locating military installations close to dense civilian populations, he said.
"However, the failure to do so does not release the attacker from their obligation to follow the principles of proportionality and distinction," Purnama said.
BEIRUT -- Hezbollah said Tuesday evening that it has launched a rocket attack on an Israeli naval base in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, describing the move as a response to ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese territory.
In a statement, the group said its fighters targeted the naval base with a salvo of what it described as advanced rockets.
Hezbollah said that the attack was carried out in retaliation for what it called "criminal Israeli aggression" that has struck dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including Beirut's southern suburbs.
A drone attack caused a fire near the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday, a Dubai government statement said, a day after the US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was hit by an Iranian strike.
"Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US consulate has been successfully contained," the official Dubai Media Office posted on X.
PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the military operations launched by the United States and Israel were conducted "outside international law" and could not be approved by France.
In a televised address on the situation in Iran and the Middle East, Macron said the conflict triggered by the strikes carried out by the United States and Israel was now spreading across the region, posing serious consequences for peace and security.
Macron confirmed that the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is being dispatched to the Mediterranean Sea in response to the deteriorating situation in the region. The vessel had been in Sweden for military exercises.
He said the frigate Languedoc and additional air defense assets are also being deployed to Cyprus. The British air base at Akrotiri on the southern coast of Cyprus was hit by a drone early Monday.
The French president added that France had responded immediately, shooting down drones "in legitimate defense" from the "very first hours of the conflict" involving Israel, the United States and Iran.
On Sunday, French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin said on social media that a hangar at France's naval base, located adjacent to an Emirati base, was struck in a drone attack targeting the port of Abu Dhabi. The damage was limited to material losses, and no injuries were reported.
Macron also announced that the first two flights repatriating French nationals from the war-affected Middle East would arrive in Paris on Tuesday evening.
JERUSALEM -- Air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and northern Israel Tuesday night as Hezbollah fired three rockets from Lebanon, with explosions reported in the central region, Israeli sources said.
Residents in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area reported hearing loud blasts.
The Israeli military confirmed that "several" projectiles crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon. The "majority of the projectiles were intercepted," the military said, while one additional projectile landed in an open area.
Emergency responders are assessing reported impact sites for casualties and damage, Magen David Adom emergency service said.
The ongoing exchange of fire comes as Israel fights on two main fronts: Lebanon and Iran. Both conflicts were triggered by Saturday's joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, leading to a rapid escalation across the Middle East.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah in Lebanon.
LONDON -- The UK is sending helicopters and a warship to Cyprus, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday.
"The UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there. We're continuing our defensive operations and I've just spoken with the president of Cyprus to let him know that we are sending helicopters with counter drone capabilities and HMS Dragon is to be deployed to the region," he said in a post on social media X.
The British air base at Akrotiri on the southern coast of Cyprus was hit by a drone early Monday.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone call on Tuesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and voiced opposition to the military strikes launched by Israel and the United States against Iran, saying that the use of force cannot truly resolve the issue but will create new problems and grave repercussions.
The true value of military strength lies not on the battlefield but in preventing war, Wang said, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities to prevent the conflict from spiraling.
He stressed that all parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and refrain from the use or threat of force in international relations — an approach that serves the fundamental interests of all sides, including Israel.
Wang expressed China's willingness to keep playing a constructive role in promoting de-escalation. He also demanded that Israel take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions.
In response, Sa'ar said Israel attaches great importance to the matter and will safeguard the security of Chinese personnel and organizations.
TEHRAN -- Iran's Mehrabad airport was targeted by strikes on Tuesday as the United States and Israel kept bombing the Islamic Republic for a fourth day, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
