Beijing, March 2 -- China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart on Monday that Beijing supports Tehran in defending itself against strikes by the United States and Israel, as the conflict in the Middle East widened further, Al Arabiya English reported.

According to Al Arabiya English, hundreds have been killed in Iran since Saturday, when the United States of America and Israel began striking dozens of targets inside the country. Tehran responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel, several Gulf states, and a British base in Cyprus.

Citing Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Al Arabiya English reported that Wang told Abbas Araghchi that Beijing "cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Iran, su...