China backs Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader

China on Monday said Iran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader following the killing of his father was an internal matter, stressing that any attempt to target him should be opposed.

The appointment comes after 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 said Iran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei was made in line with the country’s constitutional process.

“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’s military had earlier warned that any successor to Ali Khamenei could also be targeted as tensions escalate.

Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have continued airstrikes on Iran in recent days. In response, Iran has launched waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military forces.