China Supports Mojtaba Khamenei’s Appointment as Iran’s Supreme Leader

China on Monday described Iran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader following the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, as an internal matter, while stressing its opposition to any attempt to target him.

The Israel Defense Forces had earlier warned that it could target any successor to the former Iranian leader, who was killed more than a week ago during the first wave of strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Speaking on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters that Iran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei was made in accordance with its constitution.

He added that China opposes interference in the internal affairs of other nations under any pretext and emphasised that Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity must be respected.

Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have continued their military strikes against Iran in recent days. Tehran has responded by launching waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and several Gulf states hosting American military forces.