‘Prolonged War Serves No One’s Interests’: China Urges Calm Ahead of Trump’s 8 PM Deadline

Amid the intensifying conflict in the Middle East, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has stated that the "prolonged war" and "further escalation" serve no one's interests.

According to a report by China Daily, the spokesperson emphasised that all parties should play a "constructive role" in easing tensions and "pushing for peace talks."

The remarks from the Chinese Foreign Ministry come in the wake of a significant move by the United States, specifically President Trump's recent "8:00 PM deadline" (Washington time, Tuesday night) for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has warned that failure to comply will result in a simultaneous, massive bombing campaign aimed at "each and every one" of Iran's electric generating plants and bridges.

Elaborating on the severity of the threat, Trump stated on Monday that the goal would be to leave these facilities "burning, exploding, and never to be used again" within a four-hour window.

During a White House press briefing, Trump said, "The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night."

In this context, Mao Ning, as per China Daily, highlighted the urgency of the situation, as Trump also gave an ultimatum to Iran to make a deal before Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. ET, warning that there would be "no bridges, no power plants" after that.

Trump said that this is a "critical period" and that Washington has given Tehran the necessary time to make a deal to put this war to an end.

"This is a critical period... They asked for an extension of seven days; I gave them 10 days... They have till tomorrow. Now we will see what happens... A lot of people are affected by this. We are giving them until tomorrow, 8 o'clock, Eastern Time. After that, they are going to have no bridges. They are going to have no power plants. Stone ages," Trump said.

(With inputs from ANI)