First, Washington attacked Iran’s nuclear sites. Then, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Monday, ending what he called the “12-day war,” and called on both sides to exercise restraint as violations were reported. Sitting on the sidelines amid this dramatic geopolitical upheaval, with much to lose over the spiraling conflict and ambitions to influence policy in the Middle East, was China.

“China has little ability to affect the situation directly,” said William Figueroa, a China-Iran expert at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. “China does not benefit from any kind of wider conflict,” he said, but “has no ability to militarily influence that conflict.”

China is heavily dependent on oil and gas from the Middle East, with about half of its seaborne crude oil imports transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a small strip of waterway along Iran’s coast, according to energy analytics firm Vortexa. Tehran’s parliament mulled closing the strait this week, according to the country’s state media.

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Iran, which is subject to a harsh international sanctions regime, also relies on China to buy its oil, with Vortexa estimating Chinese imports will reach 1.5 million barrels in June, nearly all of which transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

There was evidence of some Chinese diplomacy this week — Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin discussed the Israel-Iran conflict in a meeting with Tehran’s new ambassador to China on Monday, and Chinese officials proposed a U.N. draft resolution for an immediate ceasefire alongside Russia and Pakistan on Sunday.

But ultimately, it was the United States that emerged as the region’s primary power broker this week.

Even when Washington asked for China’s help, Beijing seemed unable or unwilling to insert itself into the tensions, analysts say. On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Beijing to encourage Iran not to shut the strait in an interview with Fox, citing China’s dependency on the passageway and saying such a move would be “economic suicide” for Iran.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the Chinese government “maintained communication” with Iranian counterparts and “is willing to work with … Iran to enhance communication,” but it’s unclear if they took any steps.

Liu Zongyi, a researcher at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, a government-affiliated think tank, noted that Beijing viewed Rubio’s request as somewhat hypocritical, considering how Chinese officials saw the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as unreasonable aggression. “The U.S. started the war and is now asking China to persuade Iran not to close the Hormuz: This is nonsensical and vile hooliganism,” he said.

Besides, “it’s not clear whether or not they could convince [Iran],” said Gedaliah Afterman, an Asia expert at the Abba Eban Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations at Israel’s Reichman University. “They would definitely not want to do it at the behest of Washington and Rubio.”

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Beijing has tried to cast itself as a peacemaker in the Middle East in the past, with moves like brokering a détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023 and a deal to boost unity among Palestinian factions in 2024.

But experts say that the effect of China’s past diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East has been limited and the country’s main presence in the region remains a commercial one. The U.S., by contrast, is far more engaged politically and militarily in the Middle East, with air bases and long-standing alliances in the region.

Liu, speaking after Trump announced the ceasefire but before the accusations of violations, said: “It’s likely that China will send Iran some humanitarian aid, but other than that, there is little China will do.”

Beyond issuing statements, China’s moves have been to protect immediate interests.

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Chinese officials said on Monday they had evacuated more than 3,000 citizens from Iran and more than 500 from Israel. The Foreign Ministry posted a video titled “Homecoming,” with clips of Chinese diplomats detailing the effort and of citizens waving flags.

In a sign of Beijing’s concern about the Strait of Hormuz, the China Shipowners’ Association, a group under the Ministry of Transport, released a notice requiring all shipping companies to submit daily reports from vessels passing through the strait and surrounding waters.

Beijing has other significant sources of oil, including Russia, and it has made efforts to find other transit routes for critical energy supplies. A key element of that diversification effort is Pakistan’s Gwadar port, a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project bankrolled by Beijing.

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But Liu said that the port, on the Arabian Sea, is far from a replacement for the Strait of Hormuz because it does not yet have adequate handling and storage capacity. “It is still a false proposition for China to [use the port to] solve the problem of importing crude oil from the Middle East,” he said.

Beijing is also watching Trump’s moves closely for clues about his variable approach to foreign policy — and to other global hot spots closer to home, like Taiwan.

Trump’s willingness to intervene with force in Iran, Afterman said, may make Beijing think the U.S. is more likely to militarily respond to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its own.

“The role that the U.S. is playing, where it is willing to go into conflict like that, might also be a concern to Beijing when it comes to the Asia Pacific, and what the U.S. might be willing to do in the context of Taiwan,” he added.

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Other experts say Trump’s involvement in the Middle East could divert resources and attention away from Beijing, including on the U.S.-China trade tensions that inflicted widespread economic damage before both countries decided to come to the negotiating table in May.

“U.S. power is finite — political bandwidth and strategic bandwidth is also limited,” said Mohammed Alsudairi, an expert on China-Middle East relations at Australian National University. “The U.S. could be dragged into a quagmire, not of its own making.”

Finally, Washington’s use of military force — and China’s lack thereof — also could help Beijing portray itself as a more rational global power, even if its influence on the region is limited, said John Delury, a senior fellow and China expert at the Asia Society.

“Xi Jinping wakes up, and he sees America stuck in the Middle East again,” said Delury, referring to China’s leader.

The durability of the ceasefire remained unclear Tuesday as Israel and Iran accused each other of violating the agreement and attacking each other in the immediate hours after it was to come into effect. Also, President Donald Trump accused both countries of violations. There are no known details about the agreement that Trump suddenly announced Monday evening, but Israel and Iran have each cast it as a victory to their people.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had accused Iran of firing a wave of missiles toward Israel and said he instructed the military to “respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire.” A message posted on the Telegram channel of Iran’s state broadcaster denied the claim of a missile launch. Iran then accused Israel of launching three waves of attacks shortly after Trump said the truce had gone into effect. Israel said it destroyed a radar installation near Tehran as retaliation for Iran’s alleged missile launch after the ceasefire had begun. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will refrain from additional attacks.

Israel and Iran launched blistering attacks on each other overnight as a deadline for the truce loomed. At least four people were killed in Israel in an Iranian missile barrage. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it dropped more than 100 munitions on the Iranian capital of Tehran, with massive attacks reported in cities across the country.

NAIROBI, Kenya — An Associated Press photographer captured the shooting of a civilian by a Kenyan police officer in the head at close range on Tuesday, during the latest protest against the country’s deadly and pervasive issue of police brutality. It happened on one of Nairobi’s busiest streets, again outraging many Kenyans, who have long witnessed officers shooting or beating protesters and others. Tuesday’s shooting was rare because the officer fired in full view of journalists.

The AP is publishing the photos despite their graphic nature because they show evidence of a police shooting of a civilian.

The photos show the sequence of events

The man who was shot appeared to be a vendor, not a protester — he fell holding a packet of face masks he was selling.

The photos show officers jumping off a vehicle, with guns.

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An officer wearing a face mask fires his gun in the direction of protesters, who are outside the frame of the photo.

The same officer and a colleague run over to the vendor. It’s not clear why they approached him, guns drawn, or what was said.

The officers push at the man, who raises his hands toward his face.

As he is shoved and moves away, the man glances back. The officer raises his weapon and shoots at him. The man crumples to the sidewalk.

After the shooting, the officer and his colleague walk away.

The man was being treated at a Nairobi hospital

The man survived, according to a spokesperson at the Nairobi hospital where he and several others hurt during the protest were taken.

He was not the only one with a gunshot wound, but he quickly came to represent them all.

A senior health ministry official, Patrick Amoth, told local media later Tuesday that the man — still unidentified — was in surgery, with a bed on standby in intensive care.

Kenya has a history of killings during protests

For decades, Kenya’s police officers have been accused of extrajudicial killings during protests or with the aim of silencing critics. Watchdog groups in Nairobi keep tallies. Multiple officials have vowed to rein it in.

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Tuesday’s protest was over the death in police custody earlier this month of a blogger who a senior police official had accused of defamation.

Later Tuesday, as questions grew about the shooting — “Killer police,” one Nairobi headline read — police expressed concern. In a statement, they said the officer had been arrested. Police did not name him, but outraged Kenyans zoomed in on his uniform.

ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish court on Tuesday sentenced a far-right politician to more than two years in prison for inciting public hatred and hostility , but ordered his release because of time already served. Umit Ozdag, the leader of Turkey’s Victory Party, was detained in January over accusations that he insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with comments that he made during a party meeting.

A day later, Ozdag was formally arrested and charged with inciting hatred against migrants. He was blamed for last year’s anti-Syrian refugee riots in the central Turkish province of Kayseri, during which hundreds of homes and businesses were attacked.

Ozdag, a 64-year-old former academic, is an outspoken critic of Turkey’s refugee policies, and has previously called for the repatriation of millions of Syrian refugees.

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During his trial, Ozdag acknowledged advocating the return of refugees, but strongly denied that he had incited violence against them. He maintained that his imprisonment was politically motivated and aimed at silencing him.

The court sentenced him to two years and four months in prison, but ordered his release, ruling that he has already served a sufficient portion of the sentence.

The trial took place amid a widespread crackdown on the opposition to Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party.

Officials from municipalities controlled by the main opposition — the Republican People’s Party, or CHP — have faced waves of arrests this year . Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu , viewed as the main challenger to Erdogan’s two-decade rule, was detained in March over allegations of corruption.

VIENNA — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Monday that there is a possibility of both radiological and chemical contamination within Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz following Israeli strikes, although radiation levels outside the complex are presently normal. The radiation poses a significant danger if uranium is inhaled or ingested, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

The risk can be effectively managed with appropriate protective measures, such as using respiratory protection devices while inside the facilities, Grossi said.

“The level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact to the population or the environment from this event,” he said.

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Grossi was addressing an urgent session of the IAEA’s board in Vienna that was convened at the request of Russia to discuss Israeli attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities . He said that there apparently was no additional damage at Natanz and the Isfahan nuclear research site since Saturday.

He said that the main concern inside the Natanz facility is the chemical toxicity of a gas called uranium hexafluoride, which is the result of fluorine mixed with the uranium during enrichment. It’s extremely volatile, will quickly corrode, can burn the skin and is especially deadly if inhaled, experts say .

“Amid theses challenging and complex circumstances, it is crucial that the IAEA receives timely and regular technical information about the facilities and their respective sites,” Grossi said.

Without information, the U.N. agency “cannot accurately assess the radiological conditions and potential impacts on the population and the environment and cannot provide the necessary assistance.”

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Grossi said that U.N. inspectors would remain present in Iran and inspect the nuclear facilities “as soon as safety conditions allow.”

He warned that “military escalation threatens lives, increases the chance of a radiological release with serious consequences for people and the environment and delays indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.”

Venezuela delivered a joint statement at the special board meeting on behalf of a group of states, among them Iran and Russia, condemning Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, diplomats said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show extensive damage at Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. The images captured Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility.

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Grossi told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground didn’t appear to be hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said.

Israel also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan. The IAEA said that four critical buildings were damaged, including a uranium-conversion facility, but there was no sign of increased radiation at Natanz or Isfahan.

Grossi also told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that no damage has been seen at the site of the Fordo enrichment site, which is buried under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries. Fordo appears designed to withstand airstrikes .

Grossi also said that the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s only commercial nuclear power plant, hasn’t been targeted or affected by the recent attacks, and neither has the Tehran Research Reactor.

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Any country on the 35-member board of the IAEA can call a meeting under its rules. Last week, the IAEA board found Iran to be in noncompliance with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.

___ The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation . The AP is solely responsible for all content.