Beijing/Tehran, 25 March (H.S.):

China pressed Iran Wednesday to launch peace negotiations without delay as fresh Israeli strikes killed 12 in Tehran and the US-Israel-Iran war chewed deeper into its fifth week.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi at Tehran's request, making a strong pitch for all parties to seize every chance for dialogue in the volatile West Asia crisis.

Conflict can only be resolved through conversation and diplomacy, not war, Wang stressed, according to a foreign ministry statement released the same day.

Araghchi made clear Iran seeks not just a temporary ceasefire but a lasting fix, while thanking Beijing for humanitarian aid pouring into the war-torn nation. The call signals Tehran's push to ramp up diplomatic tracks amid spiraling violence that has seen oil prices yo-yo above $100 a barrel and global trade choke at the Strait of Hormuz.

As Iran's top strategic partner, China has consistently called for calm in the Gulf without openly backing attacks on US bases there – a tightrope walk underscoring its balanced foreign policy. The appeal lands hours after blasts rocked Tehran production sites and Iran fired back at Tel Aviv, with over 1,000 dead in Lebanon alone from related fighting.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar