China’s Foreign Ministry has called on all parties involved in the ongoing conflict—specifically the United States, Israel, and Iran—to return to the negotiating table and end what it described as a vicious cycle of violence. The appeal came after a question regarding former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. Ministry spokesperson Lian Jian warned that further escalation could spread chaos across the entire region and emphasized that the war should never have started.

According to the report, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has created dramatic instability across the Gulf region and globally. Thousands of people in the Middle East have been displaced, and the conflict has disrupted oil prices and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, raising costs for consumers and businesses worldwide.

Although China has not yet experienced major direct impacts from the Iran war, the country is expected to feel pressure due to its energy dependence. Data from the Center for Global Energy Policy indicate that only 12 percent of China’s oil imports come from Iran.