China proposes mediation amid Pakistan-Iran tensions

• China urges both nations to exercise calm and restraint.
• Chinese spokesperson says Beijing willing to de-escalate situation.
• Pakistan hits militant targets inside Iran's territories in retaliation.

China has expressed willingness to facilitate mediation between Pakistan and Iran in the aftermath of a series of attacks on militant targets by both governments across the respective borders, leading to loss of lives on both sides.

The missile strike, initiated by Iran without any provocation late Tuesday night, caused the death of two children and injured three girls. Pakistan's Foreign Office strongly condemned the "unprovoked" attack, stating that Tehran violated the country's sovereignty.

Meanwhile, in response to the strikes that Iran claimed targeted a militant organisation, Pakistan also launched an attack overnight resulting in the killing of several militant targets residing in the border region in Iran.

According to Tehran, the attack by Islamabad has claimed at least seven civilians.

During a press conference in Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the Chinese side sincerely hopes that the two sides can exercise calm and restraint and avoid an escalation of tension.

"We are also willing to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation if both sides so wish," she added.

"China always stands that relations between countries should be handled in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law and that countries’ sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity should be respected and safeguarded."

Earlier today, the Chinese Consul General in Karachi Yang Yundong also iterated China's willingness to play a constructive role in settling differences between both nations.

“China would like to ask Pakistan and Iran that we will like to play a constructive role to settle the differences between the two countries,” Yundong said exclusively talking to Geo News.

To a question on Iran’s blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by launching a missile attack in Balochistan, he said Pakistan and Iran were the major countries in the region and Muslim world, so China hoped that the differences between them could be solved through talks and other peaceful ways.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan and neighbouring Iran are both battling simmering insurgencies along their sparsely populated border regions.

On January 17, Pakistan warned Iran of serious consequences after Tehran violated its airspace claiming the lives of two Pakistanis and injuring multiple others.

"Pakistan strongly condemns the unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran which resulted in the death of two innocent children while injuring three girls," Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement in the aftermath of the attack.