The West urges China to intervene with Iran amid fears of a direct attack on Israel
Western diplomats have mounted pressure on China to prevent Iran from escalating tensions in the Middle East with a direct retaliatory strike against Israel. U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken earlier this week spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other counterparts in Turkey and Saudi Arabia amid rising fears of retaliation by Tehran against Israel. Blinken asked the foreign ministers to "make clear that escalation is not in anyone's interest, and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Thursday. "We have also engaged with European allies and partners over the past few day