Beijing – China has formally stated its opposition to any foreign attempts to target Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, declaring that the succession is strictly an internal affair of the Islamic Republic.
The statement from China’s foreign ministry on Monday comes in direct response to explicit threats from Israel’s military, which has vowed to target any successor to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed over a week ago in the initial wave of US and Israeli strikes on Tehran.
‘Based on Its Constitution’
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters at a regular briefing that Iran’s decision to appoint the younger Khamenei was a sovereign act.
“Iran’s decision is based on its constitution,” Guo stated. “China opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext, and Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be respected. “
The spokesman was directly responding to questions regarding the threats issued by Israeli officials against the new Iranian leader.
A Region at War
Beijing’s call for restraint comes amid an escalating and widening conflict. Since the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the United States and Israel have continued to pound Iranian targets. In retaliation, Tehran has launched waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel and its Gulf neighbors that host US forces, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar.
China, which maintains strong economic and diplomatic ties with both Iran and the Gulf Arab states, has consistently called for de-escalation and respect for national sovereignty throughout the crisis.
