“If the Middle East is unstable, the world will not be at peace,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday. “If the conflict escalates further, not only will the conflicting parties suffer greater losses, but regional countries will also suffer greatly.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. is 'postured defensively' as more warplanes and a massive aircraft carrier moved to the region.

The United States appears to be moving closer to joining Israel’s conflict with Iran with a possible strike on the country’s key nuclear facilities – including the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is hidden deep inside a mountain.