周二，中国呼吁避免新一轮军事升级。数小时前，美国对伊朗格什姆岛发动打击，而德黑兰方面表示，“防止战争”的“球”现在“在美国一边”。外交部发言人毛宁在北京对记者表示：“中方认为，军事手段不是解决办法。这只会导致升级，不符合任何一方的利益。希望有关各方坚持和平，通过对话和谈判解决分歧，早日恢复中东和海湾地区的和平与安宁。”
China on Tuesday urged against renewed military escalation, hours after the US launched strikes against Iran’s Qeshm Island, while Tehran said the “ball” was “in America’s court to prevent war.”“China believes that military means are not the solution. They will only lead to escalation that serves no one’s interest. It is hoped that relevant parties will stick to peace, resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and restore peace and tranquility in the Middle East and the Gulf region at an early date,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.
根据毛宁记者会的官方文字记录，毛宁是在回答记者提问时作出上述表态的。记者问，她是否担心在美国周二中期选举后，美国或以色列可能恢复对伊朗的袭击。中国外交部长王毅周一在北京主持了沙特阿拉伯和伊朗高级官员的分别会晤，强调需要通过对话以政治方式结束中东冲突，同时敦促海湾国家重建互信。
Mao was responding to a question about whether she was concerned about any possible resumption of US or Israeli attacks on Iran after the US midterm elections scheduled for Tuesday, according to an official transcript of her China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted senior officials from Saudi Arabia and Iran in Beijing on Monday for separate meetings, stressing the need to use dialogue for a political end to the conflict in the Middle East while also urging Gulf nations to rebuild mutual trust.
北京方面发表上述声明之前，美军于周一晚间对格什姆岛实施了其所称的“防御性”打击。
The statement from Beijing came after the US military carried out what it called "defensive" strikes against Qeshm Island on Monday night.
然而，伊朗议会议长穆罕默德·巴格尔·卡利巴夫周二表示，德黑兰已向华盛顿作出“坚定而理性”的回应，并强调美国现在必须决定是否防止另一场战争。
However, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tuesday that Tehran had delivered a “firm and rational” response to Washington, stressing that the US must now decide whether to prevent another war.
卡利巴夫在议会会议上发表讲话时还表示，德黑兰仍对外交和军事对抗两种情形都做好准备。卡利巴夫同时率领伊朗谈判团队与美国进行谈判。
Speaking during a parliamentary session, Qalibaf, who is also leading Iran’s negotiating team in talks with the US, said Tehran remained prepared for both diplomacy and military confrontation.
他说：“伊朗已向美方作出坚定而理性的回应，现在防止战争的球在美国一边。”
“Iran has delivered a firm and rational response to the American side, and now the ball is in America’s court to prevent war,” he said.