TEHRAN -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday condemned the deadly Israeli-US airstrikes on a girls' school in southern Iran in a statement, calling the strikes "inhumane," his office said.

Pezeshkian also urged all relief and medical centers and relevant officials in the region to prioritize the "immediate and uninterrupted care" of the injured and their families by mobilizing all resources.

The death toll from the airstrikes has reached 85, said local media.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Saturday afternoon to discuss the situation in the Middle East, at the request of China, Russia, France, Bahrain, and Colombia. The UN secretary-general will brief the council.

The United States and Israel on Saturday launched "major combat operations" against Iran. Iran later retaliated with counterattacks targeting Israeli and US military assets across the region, affecting multiple countries in the Middle East.

Death toll from Israeli-US strikes on Iranian elementary school rises to 85 -- report

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday held a phone call with US President Donald Trump amid a joint military attack against Iran, Netanyahu's office said.

No further details have been released yet.

The situation in the Middle East has suddenly escalated, with the United States and Israel launching strikes on Iran on Feb 28. US President Donald Trump said he aims to completely destroy Iran's missile and missile industry. Chen Qi, director of the Center for China-US Relations at Tsinghua University, said in an interview with China Daily that the US action indicates the failure of the third round of negotiations with Tehran to reach a basic consensus.

Washington's primary intention is to pressure Iran into making concessions in any potential future talks, while also diverting attention from domestic political issues in the United States, including the Epstein scandal, and building momentum ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. This military move has effectively opened Pandora's box, further intensifying regional tensions.

Future developments will hinge on Iran's capacity to retaliate. The US military base in Bahrain has reportedly been struck by missiles, and the Iranian side claims that around 200 US military personnel have been killed or injured. If Iran continues to retaliate and even moves to block the Strait of Hormuz, the situation could become politically untenable for Washington under mounting domestic pressure.

Reporter: Li Huixian

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United Arab Emirates' President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed on Saturday Iran's retaliatory strikes on Gulf countries and expressed solidarity and sympathy in their first call since late December.

The Saudi crown prince called the Emirati president and "they discussed regional developments and the blatant Iranian attacks targeting the UAE and several other brotherly nations", the UAE's official WAM agency said.

The leaders condemned a "dangerous escalation that threatens the region's security and undermines its stability".

The crown prince expressed Saudi Arabia's "full solidarity with the UAE, and offered its resources to support any measures the UAE takes" while the Emirati leader "expressed his gratitude and appreciation".

Meanwhile, the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday condemned Iranian missile attacks that targeted the UAE and several other Gulf nations.

In a statement, the ministry affirmed the UAE's solidarity and support for the countries in the region affected by the attacks, emphasizing that their security is indivisible and that any infringement on the sovereignty of any state constitutes a direct threat to the security and stability of the entire region.

The UAE reaffirmed its categorical rejection of the use of the territories of regional states as arenas for settling disputes or expanding the scope of conflict, warning of the grave consequences of continued violations, which undermine regional and international security and threaten global economic stability and energy security.

The UAE reiterated its call for restraint and a recourse to diplomatic solutions and serious dialogue, and highlighted that this remains the most effective path to overcoming the current crisis and safeguarding regional security and stability.

The UAE underscored that it retains its full and legitimate right to respond to the attacks, the statement added.

China has expressed grave concern over Saturday's military strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, calling for an immediate cessation of military actions.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry stressed that Iran's national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.

The spokesperson added that Beijing calls for no further escalation of tensions, resumption of dialogue and negotiation, and efforts to uphold peace and stability in the Middle East.

TEHRAN - The death toll from the Israeli-US airstrikes on a girls' school in southern Iran has reached 60, with 80 people injured, Hossein Kermanpour, head of the Iranian Health Ministry's public relations, said in a post on the social media platform X.

Dozens are still trapped under the rubble, local media reported.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has announced it is engaging in strikes in the region to retaliate for Saturday's joint attacks by the United States and Israel.

However, in an interview with China Daily, Wang Chong, director of the American Studies Center at Zhejiang International Studies University said Iran's options for retaliation are limited.

Should Iran block the Strait of Hormuz, global oil shipments would be severely disrupted, sending prices soaring, while a concentrated missile barrage from Iran would pose the greatest threat to Israel.

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Iran's IRGC commander says Tehran will soon unveil unforeseen weapons: media

SANAA -- Yemen's Houthi group said on Saturday that attacks on Iran are part of a broader effort to undermine regional deterrence, warning that the United States and Israel would bear responsibility for the escalation and its impact on regional security.

In a statement broadcast by Al-Masirah TV, the group's Supreme Political Council, its highest governing body, described the US-Israeli strike on Iran as a "full-fledged major crime," a violation of Iran's sovereignty and a breach of international law, portraying the two countries as aggressive powers that disregard legal norms and humanitarian values.

The council expressed "full and steadfast solidarity" with Iran, including its leadership, government, and people, and affirmed Tehran's right to defend its sovereignty, security, and independent decision-making. It held the United States and Israel fully responsible for the consequences of the escalation.

The statement said the strike on Iran was not an isolated act, but part of a wider US-Israeli project aimed at "subjugating the region and enabling Israeli dominance." It warned that continued escalation would not bring security to Israel, but would instead broaden confrontation and strengthen resistance movements.

Separately, Yemen's internationally recognized government warned against any Houthi military action in support of Iran or any attempt to use Yemeni territory to strike neighboring countries or international targets.

Earlier on Saturday, the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps subsequently announced missile and drone attacks on US bases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain, as well as on military and security targets inside Israel.

BRUSSELS -- European Union (EU) leaders on Saturday said developments in Iran were "greatly concerning" and urged all sides to exercise maximum restraint.

"We remain in close contact with our partners in the region," European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement.

They underscored the importance of ensuring nuclear safety and avoiding steps that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime.

"We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law," the statement said.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X that the latest developments across the Middle East were "perilous," adding that non-essential EU personnel were being withdrawn from the region.

Kallas said she had spoken with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and other ministers in the region, and that the EU was coordinating closely with Arab partners to explore diplomatic paths.

Residents of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates reported loud explosions Saturday lunchtime, after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. After vowing retaliation, Iran has since launched a first large-scale wave of retaliatory missiles on regional targets.

Abu Dhabi is home to a base housing US personnel, while Dubai is a financial hub in the region.

The UAE's state news agency WAM said the military had intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles, but one man was killed in Abu Dhabi by falling missile debris in a residential area.

Abu Dhabi said it "reserves its full right to respond", slamming the attacks as "a dangerous escalation", a statement said.

Iran has so far confirmed some US military bases targeted in Gulf region as Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the fifth US base in Bahrain.

Earlier the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said it had closed its airspace "temporarily and partially" as an exceptional precautionary measure.

Agence France-Presse also reported explosions in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh.

Britain has updated its travel advice for the UAE since the attacks started, citing risks of travel disruption and other unforeseen impacts.

TEHRAN -- Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that its people and armed forces will deliver a "decisive and determining" response to what it called the "aggressors" and make them regret their "criminal" actions.

In a statement carried by the official news agency IRNA, the ministry said, "Iran once again came under the military aggression of the United States and Israel," adding that US and Israeli forces targeted defense infrastructure and civilian sites in multiple Iranian cities, in blatant violation of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The ministry criticized the "repeated military aggression" at a time when Tehran and Washington were engaged in a diplomatic process. It said Iran entered indirect nuclear negotiations despite anticipating attacks by the United States and Israel, to demonstrate its legitimacy and the illegitimacy of any pretext used by the aggressors.

The ministry said responding to the US and Israeli strikes, which it called "a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter," is Iran's lawful right. It added that Iranian forces will use all available means to counter the "criminal aggression and repel the enemy's maliciousness."

The statement urged the United Nations and its Security Council to act immediately to address the threat to international peace and security posed by the attacks, and called on all UN member states to condemn the strikes and take collective measures against them.

On Saturday morning, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities.

The missiles arrived on a Saturday, puncturing the uneasy quiet of a region already conditioned to the sound of sirens. Coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran — reportedly near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — mark a grave escalation that violates the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the basic norms governing international relations. Smoke rising over Tehran and shuttered airspace from Iraq to Israel are not merely images of conflict; they are warnings of a perilous path that risks igniting wider instability.

The objective of crippling Iran's naval forces, combined with the US incitations for "regime change", ignores international law. This follows a pattern of increasing belligerence. The unilateral military adventurism of the US and Israel do not enhance security; they breed chaos, inviting a cycle of retaliation that could engulf the entire region.

China consistently opposes the use or threat of force in international relations and advocates that disputes be resolved through political and diplomatic means. As Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged recently as the rhetoric of war increased, all parties should exercise restraint, cherish peace and resolve differences through dialogue.

The timing of the strikes is particularly troubling. They occurred as negotiations over Iran's nuclear program were at a critical juncture and as diplomatic efforts on other global flash points, including the Ukraine crisis, struggle toward fragile progress. Military actions at such a moment risk derailing dialogue and undermining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. One cannot claim to defend non-proliferation while simultaneously resorting to force that erodes trust and verification mechanisms.

Domestic political calculations in Washington and Tel Aviv appear to have cast long shadows over the decision to use force. In the US, deep partisan divisions, legal setbacks to economic policies, and looming midterm elections have intensified political pressure. An AP-NORC poll shows only about 3 in 10 Americans express strong trust in the administration's judgment on military force — a sobering figure that underscores domestic skepticism. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting domestic opposition over the Gaza conflict and a looming election that will determine his political future. History shows that external confrontation can be used to consolidate internal support, but such tactics carry dangerous broader consequences.

China calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to hostilities. All parties, the US and Israel in particular, must exercise restraint and cease hostilities to prevent spiraling escalation. Respect for sovereignty, adherence to international law and a commitment to dialogue are essential to cooling tensions. China stands ready to play a constructive role in promoting de-escalation.

The priority must be the prevention of a broader war — a catastrophe that serves the interests of no nation. Miscalculation layered upon miscalculation, each justified as deterrence, each increasing the risk of catastrophe. Meanwhile, instability in the Middle East threatens global energy markets, trade routes, and economic recovery far beyond the region. From Dubai to Singapore, markets have already shown signs of unease.

A return to diplomacy, however painstaking, offers the only sustainable path to peace. Confrontation leads only to greater suffering; the path of dialogue is the sole route to lasting stability in the Middle East.

What is needed is sustained, serious negotiations, not more strikes.

Explosions reported in Tehran as Israel announces 'pre-emptive attack'. Multiple explosions hit central Tehran, including areas near Iran’s Supreme Leader's office and government buildings. Israel has declared a nationwide state of emergency, with air raid sirens activated and civilians told to seek shelter. The joint operation has dramatically escalated tensions across the Middle East.

The situation in the Middle East has suddenly escalated with the United States and Israel launching strikes on Iran on Saturday. US President Donald Trump said that he aims to destroy Iran's missiles and missile industry. The US action indicates the failure of the first round of negotiations with Tehran to reach a basic consensus.

Washington's primary intention is to pressure Iran into making concessions in any potential talks, while also diverting attention from domestic political issues in the US, including the Epstein scandal, and building momentum for midterm elections in November.

This US military move has effectively opened Pandora's box. Future developments will hinge on Iran's response and its capacity to retaliate. Now that Iran has begun striking US military bases in the Middle East, the situation has become politically untenable for Washington.

The author is director of the Center for US-China Relations at Tsinghua University. This is an excerpt of the interview with China Daily reporter Li Huixian.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.

Israel launched a "preemptive" strike against Iran on Saturday, igniting renewed military tensions in the Middle East. Experts said the attack further diminishes prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the long-standing nuclear dispute between Tehran and the West.

The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day conflict last June, follows repeated US-Israeli threats that they would strike again under the pretext of Iran's nuclear enrichment and its ballistic missile program.

Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, while Iran's state media said the country is preparing for a "a crushing response" to the attacks, according to a CNN report.

Witnesses in Iran reported a large explosion, though there was no immediate comment from the government about the blast.

"The State of Israel launched a preemptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel," said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, declaring an "immediate state of emergency throughout the entire country".

Sirens sound across Israel, while the Israeli military warned civilians to stay close to bomb shelters.

An Israeli defense official said the operation had been planned for months in coordination with Washington, and that the launch date was decided weeks ago.

United States President Donald Trump described the attack as "massive and ongoing", advocating for regime change and calling on Iranians to "take over your government", the report said.

Sun Degang, director of Fudan University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies in Shanghai, said the Israel-US attack on Iran may signify the beginning of a full-scale conflict.

"Mirroring last year's events, Israel launched strikes during ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran," Sun said.

"This time, Iran's determination to retaliate is expected to be significantly greater, potentially leading to the mobilization of its full capabilities to counter both US and Israeli actions. Consequently, a forceful response from Iran is likely, possibly escalating into wider conflict as a means of deterrence."

Sun said that the initial three rounds of negotiations between Iran and the US appear to have been a delaying tactic, providing cover for US and Israeli military deployments.

"The US and Israel, seeking a pretext for military action against Iran, used the talks to enable the deployment of two US aircraft carriers to the Middle East," he added.

"With the carriers now in position, a coordinated offensive against Iran has purportedly begun, with Israel emphasizing the unified US-Israel front to deter Iran from limiting its retaliation. The strategy aims to fully involve the US in the conflict, forcing Iran into a strategically unfavorable confrontation against two adversaries.

"Given the present context, a key objective for Iran likely involves retaliatory action against Israel. This could extend beyond military targets to encompass specific civilian facilities, such as power plants and refineries, potentially aimed at deterring follow-on strikes from Israel and the US."

Sun went on to say that, facing the perceived threat of regime change, Iran has proactively developed contingency plans, which include arrangements sanctioned by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for collective leadership and designated successors in the event of an emergency.

"Iran's preparations are more comprehensive than last year, suggesting that, in the short term, its command, control, intelligence and defense systems are unlikely to be significantly disrupted," he added.

"The ongoing tensions between the US, Israel and Iran pose a significant risk of regional escalation. While most Middle Eastern nations, particularly those bordering Iran, prioritize their own stability and are hesitant to be drawn into the conflict, but the region's overall peace and stability remain profoundly precarious."

Contact the writers at liujianqiao@chinadaily.com.cn

New wave of Iranian missiles launched toward Israel: military

TEHRAN - Iran's senior officials, including the heads of the country's armed forces, are "in perfect health" after the US-Israeli attacks on the country on Saturday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The health status of Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was also confirmed, the report added.