Can China play a role in avoiding an all-out war in the Middle East?

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China has voiced “deep concern” over escalating tensions in the Middle East after Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles in an unprecedented attack on Israel, raising the prospect of a wider conflagration in a region where Beijing has pledged to play peacemaker and promote its own security vision.

“(China) calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalation,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday, framing the latest tensions as “a spillover from the Gaza conflict” – which it said should be put to an end as soon as possible.

“China calls on the international community, especially countries with influence, to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the region,” the ministry added.

The Iranian strikes, which Tehran said were retaliation for the bombing of an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus on April 1, marked the first time the Islamic Republic has launched a direct assault on Israel from its soil.

The decision by Iran’s leaders to strike at Israel directly has pushed the shadow war between the two regional foes into the open. Israel is being urged by Western allies to de-escalate, as fears grow of an all-out regional war – a scenario Washington has sought to enlist Beijing’s help to avoid.

Following the Damascus strike, which Iran said killed seven people, including two top Iranian military commanders, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to China’s top diplomat Wang Yi – and other counterparts in Turkey and Saudi Arabia – to “make clear that escalation is not