Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Friday strongly condemned the brutal Israeli attacks targeting southern and eastern Lebanon, emphasizing that the United States is an accomplice in all atrocities.
In a statement released by Iran's Foreign Ministry, Baghaei said these attacks have caused a large number of casualties among Lebanese people, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and damaged infrastructure and civilian houses.
The United States is an accomplice to Israel in committing crimes in Lebanon, Palestine and the Middle East, the statement said.
The statement stressed that Iran and Lebanon stand united and will jointly defend Lebanon's sovereignty and oppose Israel's expansionary ambitions.
Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame said on Friday that Israel's continuous air strikes on southern Lebanon are putting many precious cultural heritages in serious danger.
In particular, the ancient city of Tyre, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, has suffered intense bombing around its historical sites.
In addition, the Beaufort Castle, a nearly 900-year-old fortress in southern Lebanon that UNESCO has described as one of the best-preserved examples of medieval castles in the region, was also hit in attacks.
The current round of fighting between Israel and Lebanon began on March 2, and a ceasefire took effect in April. Despite the truce, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in Lebanon, while Hezbollah has launched attacks on Israeli military positions.
Iran condemns brutal Israeli attacks in Lebanon
Iran condemns brutal Israeli attacks in Lebanon
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on Friday voiced strong opposition to the European Union's approach to associate Chinese enterprises with cybersecurity risks, warning that such measures violate international trade rules and harm both Chinese and European interests.
The EU is reportedly advancing a revised draft of the Cybersecurity Act, which will prohibit Chinese companies from participating in critical infrastructure construction in EU member states.
At a regular press conference held on Friday, CCPIT spokeswoman Wang Yifei expressed firm opposition to the EU's practice of directly linking enterprises from specific countries or with specific national backgrounds to cybersecurity risks, and excluding them from relevant EU supply chains.
"Implementing market access restrictions, replacing existing equipment, and excluding certification qualifications for suppliers from specific countries clearly exceed the necessary limits for maintaining cybersecurity. They conflict with the basic rules of the World Trade Organization, international service trade commitments, and investment protection rules," she said.
The CCPIT said that if specific country suppliers are totally excluded based on generalized security reasons, it would not only damage the legitimate rights and interests of other relevant market entities, including Chinese enterprises, but also weaken the business environment of the EU market.
"European enterprises will face practical pressures such as rising costs, reduced procurement options, declining supply chain stability, and extended technology adaptation cycles. Ultimately, these costs will be passed onto EU consumers and public service systems. According to incomplete statistics, if this law is implemented, the affected investment in Europe will exceed hundreds of billions of euros, while affecting the employment of tens of thousands in Europe," said Wang.
China opposes EU's cybersecurity-linked restrictions on Chinese firms
