China: Iran’s 300 Missile and Drone Barrage on Israel ‘Restrained,’ Israel Should Not Respond

The communist government of China demanded Israel “exercise calm and restraint” on Sunday following an unprecedented attack featuring over 300 drones and missiles on the Israeli homeland on Iran.

Beijing, one of Iran’s most prominent commercial partners and diplomatic allies, declared through its Foreign Ministry that “the conflict must end now” in Gaza, where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been executing a self-defense operation against the Iran-backed jihadist terror organization Hamas since October.

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IDF via Storyful

Using its state media arms, the Chinese government also cited Chinese regime-approved “experts” who claimed that the barrage was “restrained” on Iran’s part and suggesting Israel was responsible for the attack on itself, and thus implied Israel has no legitimate reason to respond to the attack in an attempt to prevent further escalation.

Iran launched more than300 cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones towards Israel on Saturday night, allegedly targeting Israeli military installations. The attack was notable in that it was the first time Iran attacked Israel directly, rather than using its terrorist proxy organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis, or “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” groups.

The attack was an overwhelming failure thanks to the advanced missile defense technology Israel employs. According to the IDF, Israel successfully stopped 99 percent of the missiles and drones sent its way, including 100 percent of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 100 percent of the cruise missiles. At press time, the only documented casualty is an Arab-Israeli girl hospitalized after being hit with shrapnel.

Iranian leaders claimed the attack was necessary in response to an airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, that killed seven terrorists with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Quds Force commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Israel is widely believed to have been responsible for the attack but has not officially taken responsibility. Groups close to the IRGC, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and arm of the Iranian military, claimed recently that Zahedi was deeply involved in the “planning and execution” of the mass murder of 1,200 people and abduction of 250 others by Hamas on October 7.

“China expresses deep concern over the current escalation and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations,” the Foreign Ministry declared in a statement on Sunday. The ministry blamed Iran’s attack on “the Gaza conflict,” referring to the IDF’s operations against Hamas, and concluded, “China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region.”

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Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart News

China’s charge d’affairs at the United Nations, Dai Bing, similarly demanded “maximum calm and restraint” following Iran’s attack, essentially calling for Iran to be allowed to conduct massive missile attacks without retribution. Dai insisted on taking Iranian officials at face value who claimed that “its military action was in response to Israel’s aggression against its diplomatic premises and the matter can be deemed concluded.”

“The ultimate solution is to implement the two-state solution and put an end to the vicious circle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” Dai asserted, echoing demands for a “Palestinian” country carved out of Israel made by Hamas and associated terrorists.

In the pages of the Global Times, China’s most prominent English-language state propaganda newspaper, “experts” insisted that launching over 300 drones and missiles at Israel was “restrained” on the part of Iran.

“Chinese experts believe Iran’s retaliatory attack in response to Israel’s bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria is ‘restrained,'” the outlet reported. “However, in order for tensions to de-escalate, it is imperative that Israel refrains from taking further provocative actions that could exacerbate the situation and lead to more damage for Iran.”

One of those “experts,” Lanzhou University official Zhu Yongbiao, applauded Iran for having “acted with restraint as its attack has caused no death in Israel,” implying that the minimal damage was intentional and not the result of tremendous IDF effort.

“Zhu believes that if military conflict between Iran and Israel escalates, the likelihood of US’ intervention will increase despite Washington’s reluctance of being dragged in,” the Global Times noted.

An anonymous “Chinese military expert” added, apparently contradicting praise for Iran’s “restraint,” that Iran may soon launch “multiple waves of attacks” intended to drag America into a larger war.

“If the US and Israel respond with counterattacks, Iran might launch a second and third round of attacks, potentially escalating the conflict further, the expert said,” the newspaper added.

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Iran and China share close military, diplomatic, and commercial ties. China spearheaded the effort to introduce Iran to the BRICS coalition – originally consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – in January, lending Tehran the support of some of the largest anti-American economies on the planet. Following that introduction, Russia, China, and Iran held joint naval exercises in March.

China also orchestrated the diplomatic normalization of relations between Iran and its arch-rival Saudi Arabia in March 2023, paving the way for both countries to join BRICS. Saudi Arabia, which had long engaged in a proxy war with Iran through the latter’s Houthi proxies in Yemen, preceded greater economic cooperation with China for both countries.

China has invested deeply in the floundering Iranian economy. In February, the head of Iran’s foreign investment agency announced the Communist Party increased investments in the country from $300 million to $3 billion in the past year.

“Over the course of the Raisi administration until December, a total of $10.6 billion in capital entered Iran, with Russia accounting for approximately $2.7 billion of the amount. The oil and gas sector saw the highest capital attraction, with five investments totaling around $4.8 billion,” Ali Fekri, the head of the Organization of Investment, Economic and Technical Assistant of Iran (OIETAI), explained at the time.

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