BREAKING NEWS

China's Xi says disputes in Gulf should be resolved peacefully

Disputes in the Gulf should be resolved peacefully via talks, and all sides should remain calm and exercise restraint, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Iraq's visiting prime minister on Monday, state television reported.

"At present the situation in the Gulf region of the Middle East is complex and sensitive," the report cited Xi as saying, without directly mentioning the attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities.

Saudi Arabia and its ally the United States have blamed the attacks on Iran, which Iran denies.