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Olugbemi. Adeyinka Ogunleye
1 month ago
Overview
China Opposes Foreign Interference After Iran Names Mojtaba Khamenei Leader
China on Monday warned against any foreign interference in Iran following the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, describing the decision as a domestic matter made in line with Iran’s constitution. China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Guo Jiakun, told reporters that Tehran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity must be respected, amid threats from Israel and continued military pressure from the United States.
Beijing, a close partner of Iran, also called for an immediate cessation of military operations in the region and urged all parties to avoid further escalation, emphasising the need to protect civilians and prevent wider harm. The development came after Israel threatened to target any successor to the late Iranian leader, who was reportedly killed during the first wave of joint strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a “lightweight” and insisted that Washington should have a role in determining Iran’s next leader. Responding to questions on Monday, Jiakun said Iran’s decision to appoint the younger Khamenei was made in line with the country’s constitution. “China opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext, and Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be respected,” he said when asked about threats against the new leader.
Israel and the United States have continued their military strikes on Iran in recent days, while Tehran has retaliated by launching waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military forces. China, a close partner of Iran, condemned the killing of the former supreme leader but has also criticised Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Gulf states.
China’s envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, called for de-escalation during talks with Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, on Sunday. “China urges all parties to immediately cease military operations, prevent further escalation of tensions, and avoid causing greater harm to the people of regional countries,” Zhai Jun said. China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, also warned that the war “should never have happened” and called for an end to the fighting.
The conflict has raised concerns about global energy security and trade, as well as China’s oil supply. According to analytics firm Kpler, more than 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports last year were shipped to China, although that represented about 13 per cent of China’s total seaborne oil imports. However, more than half of China’s seaborne crude imports came from the wider Middle East, making the country highly dependent on shipments passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz
Credit: Leadership
