China on Wednesday strongly condemned remarks made by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who falsely portrayed China as a threat to the Panama Canal, urging the U.S. to cease spreading misleading remarks.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday during his visit to Panama that China’s control of critical infrastructure in the Panama Canal area gave China the power to conduct surveillance activities across Panama, making Panama and the United States less secure, less prosperous and less sovereign.
"The U.S. senior official maliciously attacked China, and vilified and sabotaged China-Panama cooperation, which once again lays bare America’s bullying and hegemonic nature. China firmly opposes it," said Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
"It is so clear for all to see who wants to control the Panama Canal. The U.S. should take a hard look in the mirror to find out who is threatening other countries’ sovereignty, security and development. China calls on the U.S. to stop spreading rumors and making trouble, and stop linking China to the Panama Canal issue with ill intention to find an excuse for America’s attempt to control the canal. Meanwhile, let me stress that compromise and concession does not protect sovereignty or win respect, but will only embolden the bully," Lin added.
China opposes US smears on its role in Panama Canal security: spokesman
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the situation in Iran is "under total control" following violence linked to protests that spiked over the weekend.
Addressing foreign diplomats in Tehran, the foreign minister noted that armed terrorist groups had infiltrated the protests, attempting to divert them from their legitimate course. He claimed that evidence has been gathered showing Iranian security forces being shot at, with the aim of causing further casualties. He accused the United States and Israel of exploiting the unrest to interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
Araghchi further stated that the government is closely monitoring developments on the streets, emphasizing that "the situation has come under control." He also affirmed that internet services, curtailed during the unrest, would be restored after coordination with security agencies.
The government has engaged in dialogue with merchants and protest representatives and initiated reforms to address grievances related to price hikes and currency depreciation. Iran has taken a series of actions and measures to respond to the demands of peaceful demonstrators, the foreign minister said.
Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi said that clear evidence links recent riots and vandalism of public facilities in Iran to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. This came after former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned Mossad agents operating on Iran's streets in a social media post. The Iranian foreign minister asserted that police are being attacked by "terrorists" acting under the direction of Israeli operatives, whom Pompeo publicly acknowledged.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and U.S. sanctions.
Iranian foreign minister says situation "fully under control," accuses Israeli intelligence of stoking unrest
