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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for enhanced cooperation between New Delhi and Beijing during a news conference held on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing.
The senior diplomat emphasised the importance of bilateral collaboration, stating that "India and China must step up and support each other's presidency of BRICS over the next two years." These comments come at a time of significant global upheaval, specifically amid the escalating US-Iran conflict in West Asia. Highlighting the potential for a unified front between the two Asian giants, Wang Yi underscored the impact their partnership could have on the international stage. "Together, we can bring new hope to the Global South," he stated, suggesting that a coordinated leadership within the BRICS bloc would serve as a stabilising force for developing nations. In addition to fostering regional ties, the Chinese Foreign Minister condemned the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, asserting that the escalation should "never have happened". According to Al Jazeera, the senior diplomat called for an "immediate" end to the current hostilities and a swift return to diplomatic negotiations. During the same news conference in Beijing, Wang Yi emphasised that the use of military power "will never resolve" the deep-seated crisis in the region. He warned that the reliance on force undermines the established international order, stating, "A strong fist does not mean strong reason. The world cannot return to the law of the jungle." Al Jazeera further reported that the Foreign Minister expressed China's firm opposition to any efforts aimed at destabilising the Iranian government. Wang noted that he believes there is no popular support for regime change in Iran, suggesting that such objectives would only serve to further inflame regional tensions. This call for restraint from Beijing comes as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted targeted strikes against multiple Iranian military assets in the capital city. In a post on X, the military official account stated, "STRUCK: Several Fuel Storage Complexes Belonging to the IRGC in Tehran." The operation, which was "guided by IDF intelligence", targeted specific locations that the military identified as hubs for the distribution of resources to various armed units. The IDF noted that the "IAF struck these complexes, where the Iranian terrorist regime would distribute fuel to multiple military entities in Iran." Regarding the impact of the mission, the military asserted that "the strike significantly deepens the damage to the military infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime." Accompanying the announcement was an illustrative graphic identifying a "fuel storage facility in Tehran used by the military forces of the Iranian terror regime," highlighting the strategic nature of the targets selected during the operation. Adding weight to the military assessments, US President Donald Trump on Saturday (US local time) claimed that the United States had wiped out the entire leadership in Iran and called the actions getting rid of a major 'cancer' from the face of the earth. When asked whether the United States was responsible for the bombing of an elementary girls' school in Iran, Trump flatly denied the allegations and instead blamed Iran for bombing the school, citing the inaccuracy of Iranian weapons as a reason. Trump said, "No, I don't believe so. Based on what I've seen that was done by Iran. We think it was done by Iran because they're very inaccurate as you know with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran." He made the remarks aboard Air Force One en route to Miami. "We're winning the war by a lot. We've decimated their whole evil empire. It'll continue I'm sure for a little while. The war itself is going unbelievably. It's as good as it can be," Trump added. As the conflict marks a week, the President said that the US had accomplished much more than anyone thought was possible. He detailed the extent of the damage, stating, "We've wiped out their (Iranian) navy, 44 ships. We've wiped out their air force, every plane. We've wiped out most of their missiles. You see the missiles aren't coming much anymore. We've also hit their manufacturing areas where they make the missiles very hard. Their drone capacity is way down and we've hurt them where it hurts, including about every form of leadership you can have we've wiped out." On being asked about the earlier projected six-week timeline, Trump said, "I never project time, whatever it takes. But the (Iranian) military is almost nonexistent. We could hit their military itself very hard but maybe we will, maybe we won't, we haven't made that determination." Trump further added, "We've hit the manufacturing very hard. They're at about nine per cent of what they sent out in the first two days and we think that's because they don't have that much. We've also knocked out about 70 per cent of the rockets of the launchers. The launchers are a big deal, very hard to get, very expensive." Despite the collapse of Iranian military capacity, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who was also present on Air Force One, told the media that a diplomatic deal remains possible, though it remains up to the President. Referring to previous failures, Witkoff noted, "But they didn't seem to be very amenable in that first set of negotiations. You heard what I said. They said we have the inalienable right to enrich. They bragged about having 60 per cent enriched fuel enough for 11 bombs. And they told me and Jared, 'we're not going to give you diplomatically what you couldn't take militarily.' So you know I think they're going to need a change of attitude." The current situation is the culmination of a joint US-Israel military strike on February 28 on Iranian territory, which resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures, prompting a fierce response from Tehran. In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, further widening the conflict in West Asia and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike. (ANI)
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