BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China is calling for an immediate end to military operations and a return to dialogue and negotiation on the Iranian nuclear issue as soon as possible, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.

Rescuers and local residents try to save the wounded from debris at an attacked girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran's southern province of Hormozgan, Feb. 28, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Mao's comment came at a regular news briefing after the head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday that there is no evidence Iran has been running a "structured" nuclear weapons program.

China is highly concerned about the U.S. attacks on Iran during the negotiation process, which violate international law and basic norms governing international relations, and which have resulted in a sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East, Mao said.

China has always advocated peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation, and respects Iran's legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, she said.

Mao also said China has noted Iran's reiteration of having no intention of developing nuclear weapons, and that Iran carried out serious talks with the United States recently, while adding that the Iranian nuclear matter must ultimately return to the track of political and diplomatic resolution.

China urges all parties to preserve the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East and the world at large, the spokesperson said.