China's permanent representative to the United Nations on Friday called for international efforts to promote talks to ease Israeli-Iranian tensions. At a UN Security Council briefing, Fu Cong, the representative, said that if the Israeli-Iranian conflict escalates further, not only will both sides suffer greater losses, but the regional countries will also be severely affected. Israel's actions violate international law and norms governing international relations, jeopardize the sovereignty and security of Iran, and undermine regional peace and stability, he said, stressing that China unequivocally condemns this. The international community should further forge consensus and make every effort to promote talks to ease tensions, said Fu. Stressing that the safety of civilians must be ensured, Fu said that the parties to the conflict must strictly abide by international law, resolutely avoid harming innocent civilians, refrain from attacking civilian facilities, and facilitate the evacuation of third-country nationals. He also said the parties concerned must stay committed to dialog and negotiation. The current conflict has interrupted the negotiation process on the Iranian nuclear issue. The attacks on multiple Iranian nuclear facilities set a dangerous precedent and could have catastrophic consequences, he said. The general direction of a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue must not be wavered in, and the Iranian nuclear issue must be returned to the track of a political solution through dialog and negotiation, said Fu. China welcomes the talks in Geneva among the Foreign Ministers of the UK, France, Germany, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Foreign Minister of Iran, he said. China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination with all relevant parties, build synergies, uphold justice, and play a constructive role in restoring peace in the Middle East, said Fu. Shotlist: UN Headquarters, New York City - June 20, 2025: FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown 1. Various of UN headquarters, flags; UN Headquarters, New York City - June 20, 2025 2. Meeting in progress; 3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to United Nations: "There must be an immediate ceasefire and an end to the fighting. The use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes. It will only exacerbate hatred and conflict. The sooner a ceasefire is put in place, the less damage will be done. The situation in the region cannot be allowed to slide into an unknown abyss. The parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, should cease fire as soon as possible to prevent the situation from escalating and to avoid any spillover of the fighting."; 4. Various of meeting in progress, representative of Iran; 5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to United Nations (starting with shot 4): "We must bring together the efforts of the international community to promote peace. Without stability in the Middle East, peace in the world would be elusive. The Israeli-Iranian conflict has led to a sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East, and has had a serious impact on global security. Recently, 21 Arab and Islamic countries issued a joint statement of foreign ministers calling for a ceasefire, resuming talks on the Iranian nuclear issue, and maintaining lasting peace in the region, which China fully supports."; Tehran, Iran - June 18, 2025 6. Smoke rising after Israeli airstrikes; UN Headquarters, New York City - June 20, 2025 7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to United Nations: "The international community, especially major countries with special influence on the parties to the conflict, should make efforts to ease the situation, rather than escalating it. The Security Council, as the primary body responsible for maintaining international peace and security, should enhance its role in this regard. We support the Council in taking necessary actions in a timely fashion."; Tel Aviv, Israel - June 17, 2025 8. Various of damaged buildings; national flag of Israel. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV, For news purpose only/No archive/Not for other production use]