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By Micah McCartney
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Beijing has backed Iran's version of a one-day-old ceasefire that's already on a razor's edge, with the U.S. and Israel claiming it doesn't cover Lebanon.
"Lebanon's sovereignty and security should not be violated. Civilians and their property must be protected," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during Thursday's regular press briefing. "We call on relevant parties to stay calm and exercise restraint to de-escalate the situation in the region."
Israel said on Wednesday it had carried out airstrikes against more than 100 sites linked to Iran-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah. Lebanese health authorities said at least 254 people were killed and 1,165 wounded in the offensive, which included dense residential and commercial areas in Beirut.
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Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department and Israeli Foreign Ministry by email with requests for comment.
Citing a breach of the agreement, Iran has retaliated by again closing the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for roughly 20 percent of the world's oil supplies, just as tanker traffic was set to resume after more than five weeks of disruption amid the threat of Iranian drones and missiles.
Pakistan, which served as mediator in the negotiations, said the deal it extends to Lebanon. "I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said when announcing the deal.
Israel and the U.S. have denied the deal extends to Lebanon, with Vice President JD Vance warning Tehran would be "dumb" to let negotiations deteriorate over the country.
"We hope relevant parties will take the ceasefire as an opportunity to resolve disputes through political and diplomatic means and put an end to the conflict," Mao added when pressed on whether Lebanon is part of the ceasefire.
Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Chen Chuandong went further. "Today, we are all Lebanese," he wrote on X. "Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their loved ones and wish the wounded a speedy recovery. In this difficult time, China stands with Lebanon in solidarity."
On Wednesday, Chen met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, briefing him on the progress of humanitarian aid China is preparing to ship to the country, the diplomat wrote in an earlier post.
China, a longtime diplomatic partner of Iran and buyer of nearly all its crude, has condemned the U.S.-Israeli strikes as illegal and called on all sides to exhibit restraint and reopen the strait.
Beijing has intensified diplomatic engagement across the region and, according to U.S. President Donald Trump, played a key role in pushing Iran to accept the 10-point ceasefire plan that forms the basis of talks with the U.S.
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