Chinese FM spokesperson Mao Ning   Photo: Website of Chinese Foreign Ministry

In response to a media inquiry regarding reports that the US is considering a limited strike against Iran before nuclear negotiations, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday that China is closely watching the developments.

"We hope various parties will exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. Escalation of tensions in the Middle East does not serve any party's interest," Mao said at the routine press briefing. 

The dark clouds of war between the US and Iran are gathering in recent days, with reports that US President Donald Trump mulls limited strike in the immediate future to pressure Tehran to agree to his nuclear demands, as well as US deployment and relocation of troops and personnel. 

Earlier reports said Trump has not yet made a decision, and a Monday exclusive report by Guardian said that Trump's decision will hinge in part on the judgment of his special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, about whether Tehran is stalling over a deal to relinquish its capacity to produce nuclear weapons, according to people familiar with the matter.

The president has not made a final determination on any strikes, as the administration prepares for Iran to send its latest proposal this week, ahead of what officials have described as a last-ditch round of negotiations scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, The Guardian reported.

The US State Department said Monday local time that it has ordered nonessential diplomats and their family members at the US Embassy in Beirut to leave Lebanon, Associated Press reported.  

According to AP, Lebanon has been the site of numerous Iran-related retaliatory attacks against US, and changes in the staffing status of the US Embassy in Beirut have often been seen as a bellwether for potential US or Israeli military action in the region, particularly against Iran.   

The US has also been building up its military presence in the region with two of its biggest warships, the USS Gerald R Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln, moving closer to the Iranian coast. They will be supported by fighter jets and naval forces, the Independent reported Tuesday.

The ground forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guards held military drills on the country's southern coast, Reuters citing its state TV reported on Tuesday.

Oil prices have reached seven-month highs, as traders appear to hedge against worst-case scenarios, per Guardian.

After US threat of strikes, Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Monday warned of a wider escalation if his country was attacked at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

The consequences of any renewed aggression wouldn't remain confined to one country -- and responsibility would rest with those who initiate or support such actions, Gharibabadi  said, AFP reported. 

The evolving situation has garnered heated attention of media. The NBC News warned that a new US attack on Iran could risk large-scale retaliation. Financial Times described the situation as "crisis of his own making," while the Washington Post, in an opinion piece, said the US is "sleepwalking into war" with Iran. 

Global Times