Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a phone call have condemned Israel for its strikes on Iran and agreed de-escalation was needed, Reuters reports.

Both men have strongly condemned “Israeli actions which violated the UN Charter and other norms of international law”, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

He said there has been a consensus that Israeli and Western concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme could not be solved militarily and that a diplomatic solution was needed.

Xi had told Putin he was in favour of Russian mediation efforts on Iran because he believed it could help de-escalate the situation, Ushakov said.

Opinion

Editorial

Lull in fighting
Updated 28 Jul, 2026

Lull in fighting

AFTER two weeks of escalating violence, the US has halted its strikes on Iran, with Tehran also silencing it guns....
Water policy
28 Jul, 2026

Water policy

THE country is caught in a crisis where there too much water at the wrong time and too little when it is most ...
Ending hepatitis
28 Jul, 2026

Ending hepatitis

WORLD Hepatitis Day is being observed under the theme ‘Hepatitis: Let’s break it down’, a call to remove the...
Writing on the wall
27 Jul, 2026

Writing on the wall

EVERY few months, another set of figures reminds Pakistan of a painful reality. Sahil’s latest Six Months Cruel...
Still unprepared
27 Jul, 2026

Still unprepared

EVEN as Pakistan counts around 100 deaths since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, it is bracing for ...
Delayed devolution
27 Jul, 2026

Delayed devolution

THE debate over Islamabad’s reluctance to fully let go of devolved subjects has been running since 2010. But it ...