China says Iran’s appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as new supreme leader is an internal matter

China on Monday said Iran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader following the killing of his father is an internal matter, while stressing that any attempt to target him should be opposed.
The appointment follows the death of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed more than a week ago during the first wave of strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran.

Speaking on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated that Iran’s choice of Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader was made in accordance with the country’s constitutional procedures.
“China opposes interference in the internal affairs of other countries under any pretext, and Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity must be respected,” he said when responding to questions about threats against the new leader.
Earlier, Israel’s military had warned that any successor to Ali Khamenei could also be targeted as tensions continue to rise.
Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have in recent days continued their airstrikes on Iran. In retaliation, Iran has launched waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries hosting United States military forces.