China has accused the United States of taking the Middle East to “a dangerous precipice” with its war against Iran at the United Nations, AFP reports.

During a debate on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, China’s envoy to the UN, Sun Lei, says “The US has irrefutable responsibility over the current situation in Yemen and the Red Sea. It is the US that is obstructing the efforts of the Council to end hostilities and allow the [continuation] of the crisis in Gaza and the expansion of the tensions.

“Without the authorisation of the Security Council, and amidst the negotiations between the US and Iran, the US launched military attacks against Iran, once again plunging the situation of the region into a dangerous precipice,” he adds.

Sun is responding to criticism of China by the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, who had just accused Beijing of violating the UN arms embargo in place on the Houthis.