BEIJING - China on Thursday reiterated its call for all parties involved in the Iran war to immediately cease military operations and start the peace talk process as soon as possible.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said this at a regular news briefing after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday night local time threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," a timeline he has recently set for ending the monthlong war.

"Military means cannot offer a fundamental solution, and the escalation of conflicts does not serve the interest of any party," Mao said.

She called on all parties involved to resolve problems through dialogue and negotiation to avoid further impacting the global economy and global energy security.

Asked to comment on media reports that Iranian universities were attacked in the war launched by the United States and Israel, she reiterated that China opposes attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, and attacks on schools constitute an even more serious violation of international humanitarian law, urging an end to military actions to avert worse humanitarian catastrophes. 

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Also on Thursday, Mao said that the root cause of the obstruction of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is the US-Israeli illegal military operations against Iran.

She said that only by achieving a ceasefire, and realizing peace and stability in the Gulf region, can the safety and smooth traffic flow in international shipping routes be fundamentally ensured.