China Responds After Israel Strikes Iran

China has spoken out on Israel's airstrike against Iran, a widely anticipated attack that had raised fears of open war between the nations.

"China opposes any act that leads to further escalation of tensions and will continue to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation," foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a press conference Friday.

Explosions were heard at around 4:00 a.m. local time Friday in the suburbs of the central Iranian city of Isfahan, according to local media. Air defenses were heard firing in the northwestern city of Tabriz.

The country's army chief Major Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi said air defense systems had fired at "suspicious targets," which he said caused no damage.

Israeli officials had vowed a response after Iran and allied groups in the region launched an unprecedented attack on Sunday comprising more than 300 missiles and drones. Nearly all were intercepted by Israel's air defense, the U.S., and its regional partners.

The barrage was in retaliation for an airstrike on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Syria, earlier this month that killed seven officers of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, including three commanders.

Friday's attack appears to have been limited in scope, however, and Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Iran, which had earlier vowed a strong response in the event of an Israeli action, has also played down the event.

According to Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, U.S. officials hold him and other Group of Seven ministers that Israel had only informed Washington about the drone attack at the last minute.

The Israel Defense Forces and Iranian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Unlike the U.S. and its partners, China stopped short of condemning Iran's aerial attack. Chinese envoy to the United Nations Dai Bing characterized it as the "the latest spillover" of the six-month Israeli-Gaza conflict and reiterated Iran's position the attack was one-time defensive action.

China has, however, rebuked Israel for the consulate bombing in Syria, calling it a serious violation of international law.

In a phone call on Monday, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian that Beijing views Tehran as a "comprehensive strategic partner" that has the situation in the Middle East well in hand.

Tuvia Gering, a researcher at the Tel Aviv University-affiliated Institute for National Security Studies, previously told Newsweek that China is supporting Iran for its own geopolitical benefit.

"With China doing the math, they see Iran as more important now than Israel," he said. "This is because Beijing understands that sympathy for Israel is short-lived and that the U.S. as Israel's primary supporter, will find itself further isolated in its continued support."