China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Iran war:

Ancient Chinese wisdom warns that weapons are ominous tools and should not be used without discretion.

Seeing the Middle East engulfed in flames, I want to say that this is a war that should not have happened. It is a war that does no one any good.

The history of the Middle East tells the world time and again that force provides no solution. Armed conflict will only increase hatred and breed new crises.

Once again, China calls for an immediate halt to military operations to avoid a spiraling escalation of the situation and to prevent the conflict from spilling over and spreading.

We believe that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Iran and all countries in the Gulf region should be respected and must not be violated.

Might does not make right. The law of the jungle must not return to rule the world. The willful use of force does not prove one’s strength. Civilians are innocent and should not be victimized.

The people of the Middle East are the true masters of the region. Middle Eastern affairs should be determined independently by regional countries. Plotting “color revolutions” or seeking regime change will find no popular support.

China always believes that peace is the most precious. All sides should return to the negotiating table as quickly as possible, resolve differences through equal dialogue, and work toward achieving common security.

Major countries should play a constructive role. They should use their strength with goodwill.

Another ancient Chinese adage says:

“When benevolence and justice are not practiced, the position of strength shifts.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi:

There should be a permanent end of the war. And unless we get to that, I think we need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security.

Q: If you're not attacking your neighbors, why did the Iranian President apologize?

Araghchi: First of all, apology in our culture is a sign of dignity and strength. Secondly, he apologized to the peoples of the region for the inconveniences they have faced because of this aggression by the United States and retaliation by us.

So, as a matter of fact, it is the President of the United States who should apologize to the people of the region and the Iranian people for the killings and destruction they have done against us.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Taiwan:

Taiwan has been an integral part of China since ancient times. It never was, is not, and never will be a country.

Its return to China was a victorious outcome of the Chinese people’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Second World War.

Any attempt to create “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan” is doomed to fail.

The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair. It lies at the core of China’s core interests and represents a red line that must not be crossed.

Taiwan was recovered by China more than 80 years ago, and we will never allow any individual or force to separate it from China again.

Resolving the Taiwan question and achieving the complete reunification of the motherland is a historic process that cannot be stopped.

Those who support it stand on the right side of history, and those who oppose it will perish.

INTERESTING: CENTCOM warns Iranian civilians to stay home, saying Tehran is launching drones and ballistic missiles from densely populated cities like Dezful, Esfahan, and Shiraz, putting civilians at risk.

The U.S. military says sites used for attacks “lose protected status and could become legitimate military targets.”

Welker: Are you receiving any help from Russia?

Araghchi: The military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not something new. It's not a secret. It has been in the past and it's still there and will continue in the future.

Welker: Is Russia helping you locate U.S. forces?

Araghchi: Well, I don't have exact military information. As far as I know we have a very good partnership with Russia.

Welker: So they are helping you — they are providing intelligence?

Araghchi: Well, they are helping us in many different directions. I don't have any detailed information.

Welker: Let me move to the strike on the elementary school in southern Iran. It killed more than 170 people, including many children. Trump said Iran is responsible for that strike. What is your response?

Araghchi: Well, it is funny. It is our school. These are our students, our girls, and they are attacked by an American jet fighter and they have been killed. Why is Iran responsible? Have we started this war? Have we attacked our own people? No... there is evidence that this school was attacked by an American jet fighter.

Welker: Where is the Iranian evidence that this was a U.S. attack — a jet fighter as you say? Will you provide it?

Araghchi: If it was not the U.S., then who was that? Maybe Israelis, but it is obvious who else is attacking us?

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi:

We have very brave soldiers who are waiting for any enemy who enters our soil to fight with them, to destroy them and to kill them.

That would be the case in the coming days, the coming years, and always in Iran.

We are brave people. We have a great civilization. We have defended our land for thousands of years, and we will continue to do that as much as it takes.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi:

We have the capability to produce missiles, but we have intentionally limited ourselves to below 2,000 kilometers of range because we don’t want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world.

We have not started any plan to increase the range of our missiles beyond what it is right now.

So there is no evidence, no intelligence, nothing to indicate that Iran is developing long-range missiles, let alone missiles that could reach the United States.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Iran:

There are no plans to target Iran’s oil industry, their national gas industry, or anything about their energy industry.

If these are Israeli strikes, these are local fuel depots.

The U.S. is targeting zero energy infrastructure.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi:

Diversity is the inherent nature of human society.

Looking back at history, great-power rivalry and bloc confrontation have repeatedly brought disaster and suffering to humanity.

China will never follow the old path of seeking hegemony as its strength grows.

Nor do we subscribe to the idea that the world should be run by a few major powers.

No matter how strong China becomes, it will never seek hegemony or expansion.

US Envoy to the UN Mike Waltz:

The Iranian regime started this war in 1979, under Jimmy Carter.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi:

Our enemies are not each other — they are war, poverty, hunger, and injustice.

We cannot defeat them by fighting alone or by looking after only ourselves.

Instead, we must unite the world and build a common future together.

Alone, one is helpless. United, we are strong.

The future of humanity is bright — but it will not come about automatically.

Welker: There is reporting that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran to help target U.S. assets in the region. Will there be consequences for Russia?

Mike Waltz: Witkoff sent a very strong message to Russia.

I have no doubt Trump will deal with it accordingly.

Russia right now has just lost its main supplier of these one-way drones that they have been sending night after night into Ukraine. They just lost their main supplier of ballistic missiles.

US Envoy to the UN Mike Waltz on Iran:

if the Russians are providing anything, it certainly hasn’t been very effective because the U.S. military is decimating Iran’s air force, air defenses, navy, ground forces, and command and control.

So whatever they are providing, if anything, it hasn’t shown to help them.

WATCH: A heated exchange between former French Ambassador to Washington Gérard Araud and an Iranian opposition activist.

When the woman argued Iranians would accept outside help to escape the regime — “We’ll give our oil. We want our lives!”, Araud replied:

“Yes, but he’s coming to take your oil, not your hand.”

US Envoy to the UN Mike Waltz on Iran:

Our Gulf allies at the UN are outraged, and they’re going to take military and diplomatic action in the coming days and weeks.

This whole strategy of Iran shooting in all directions at their neighbors and our allies is backfiring.

WATCH: Exploding oil pipes created fire barriers on the roads of Tehran after strikes on energy infrastructure.

US Envoy to the UN Mike Waltz on Iran:

As a veteran of special operations, we never deliberately attack civilians. If civilians were injured, it’s always by accident.

Iranians and their proxies hide caches of weapons in hospitals and schools. We know they do that.

Karoline Leavitt on gas prices:

This is a short-term disruption for the long-term gain...

Trump to ABC News:

Iran was planning “to attack the entire Middle East. To take over the entire Middle East.”

The next Iranian leader “is not going to last long” if they don’t get my approval.