China urges ceasing military operations following U.S. threat to hit Iran 'extremely hard'

China again urges all parties involved in the Iran war to immediately cease military operations and start the peace talk process as soon as possible, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday.

Mao made the remarks at a regular news briefing after U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday night local time threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," a timeline he has recently set for ending the monthlong war.

"Military means cannot offer a fundamental solution, and the escalation of conflicts does not serve the interest of any party," Mao said.

She called on all parties involved to resolve problems through dialogue and negotiation to avoid further impacting the global economy and global energy security.

Asked to comment on media reports that Iranian universities were attacked in the war launched by the United States and Israel, she reiterated that China opposes attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, and attacks on schools constitute an even more serious violation of international humanitarian law, urging an end to military actions to avert worse humanitarian catastrophes.