A ceasefire, as well as peace and stability, in the Gulf region are the fundamental prerequisites for keeping the international shipping route safe and unimpeded, a spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry has said.

Mao Ning made the remarks after United States President Donald Trump called on countries affected by rising fuel prices caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran to seize the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also said that the US is going to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks".

However, at a daily news conference in Beijing on Thursday, Mao said that the root cause for disruption to passage through the Strait of Hormuz lies in the illegal US-Israeli military operations against Iran.

Mao urged parties to the conflict to immediately stop military operations and start peace talks as soon as possible to resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation.

Relevant parties should work together to promote de-escalation and prevent regional turmoil from having a greater impact on the global economy and energy security, she added.