HONG KONG -- Soaring tensions between Iran and Israel are putting China in a tight spot, as excessive instability or all-out war could threaten interests it has cultivated in both countries.
Friday brought conflicting reports of a possible Israeli strike in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, with Israeli leaders having vowed to respond to Tehran's first direct attack last weekend. The Iranian barrage of drones and missiles had come in response to a suspected Israeli hit on its embassy in Syria that killed several military officials -- part of a long-running shadow war between the countries.