TEHRAN, Iran: Chinese envoy US attacks warning came at the United Nations as Ambassador Sun Lei said US strikes on Iran had pushed the Middle East toward a “dangerous precipice.”
Sun also rejected US claims that China was not doing enough to stop dual-use goods from flowing to Iran and the Houthis.
US-Iran strikes widened on Wednesday as the US Central Command launched fresh attacks on Iran. At the same time, Tehran claimed strikes on US-linked military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
CENTCOM said it began the new round at 6 am Eastern time. It said the strikes targeted Iranian capabilities used against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The command said it hit dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas.CENTCOM said the strikes used fighter aircraft, drones and naval vessels.
Iranian officials said more than 30 civilians had died in US attacks on southern Iran over recent days. The Iranian Health Ministry said more than 260 people suffered wounds in the latest attacks.
Read: Iran Army Vows Response After Saying US Strike Killed Seven Soldiers
Iran’s army said a 13-missile US barrage killed seven troops in southern Iran. The military called the strike “cowardly aggression” and vowed retaliation.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. The IRGC claimed heavy damage at US Fifth Fleet facilities in Bahrain.
Bahrain said it foiled Iranian missile and drone attacks. Meanwhile, Kuwait said its air defences intercepted dozens of drones, several cruise missiles and one ballistic missile.
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. He said the strikes hit infrastructure and vital installations and injured Kuwaiti armed forces personnel.
Read: Gulf Flights Continue Despite Renewed US-Iran Attacks
The IRGC threatened wider energy disruption after the United States reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Washington also imposed sanctions on more than 50 people, companies and vessels linked to an alleged Iranian oil-shipping network tied to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.
Meanwhile, oil prices remained above US$85 a barrel as the blockade and attacks continued to put pressure on the Strait of Hormuz.
