China’s foreign minister criticized the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, as “unacceptable” in a call with his Russian counterpart.
“The blatant killing of a sovereign leader and the incitement of regime change are unacceptable,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a call yesterday. “These actions violate international law and the basic norms of international relations.”
China, which has close ties to Iran, says it is “deeply concerned” about the escalation and spillover of tensions in the Middle East, as Iran strikes Gulf countries that host U.S. military bases in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli attacks.
At a news briefing today, the Chinese foreign ministry again urged all parties to stop military actions and resume dialogue.
A Chinese national was killed in Tehran during the attack on Iran, spokesperson Mao Ning said, and more than 3,000 Chinese nationals have been evacuated from the country.
