Nepal, March 18 -- China said on Tuesday it will provide humanitarian assistance to Middle Eastern countries, including Iran and Lebanon, targeted in US and Israeli strikes in the conflict now in its third week. Beijing is a close partner of Iran and has urged the United States and Israel to cease their attacks on the country, while also criticizing Tehran's strikes against Gulf states housing US military bases.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the war had caused "grave humanitarian catastrophes" in Iran and other Middle Eastern nations. "China has decided to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. It is hoped this will help alleviate the humanitarian plight faced by the local populati...