Sri Lanka, March 1 -- China's ministry of foreign affairs has expressed concern over United States-Israeli strikes against Iran and called for an immediate ceasefire, urging all sides to avoid escalation and to resume dialogue and negotiation.

In a statement on Saturday (Feb 28), the ministry said Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.

On Sunday, China's embassy in Israel issued a notice advising Chinese citizens in Israel to evacuate to safer areas within the country as soon as possible or to leave for Egypt via the Taba border crossing.

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, targeting its military capability. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the operation, state ...