Beijing, China — The government of the People’s Republic of China has described Iran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader as an internal constitutional matter, urging other nations to respect the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
China’s position was stated on Monday, March 9, 2026, by Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, during a regular press briefing in Beijing, the Chinese capital.
Iran recently named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who had served as the supreme leader of Iran since 1989. Ali Khamenei was killed more than one week earlier during the opening phase of coordinated military strikes carried out by the United States of America and the State of Israel against Iranian targets.
Following the announcement of Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership, the Israeli military warned that any successor to the late Iranian leader could also be targeted as the conflict between Iran and Israel continues to escalate.
In response to questions from journalists about those threats, China’s foreign ministry said the leadership change in Iran was consistent with the country’s legal framework.
Guo Jiakun said, “China opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext, and Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.”
Okay News reports that tensions in the Middle East have sharply increased since the start of the recent military confrontation involving Israel, the United States, and Iran.
Over the past several days, Israeli and United States forces have continued to carry out air and missile strikes on targets inside Iran. Iranian authorities have responded with waves of missile and drone attacks directed at Israel and at neighbouring Gulf countries that host military forces from the United States.
The exchange of attacks has raised fears among international observers that the confrontation could expand into a wider regional conflict involving multiple countries in the Middle East.
China, which maintains diplomatic and economic ties with Iran, has repeatedly called for restraint and respect for national sovereignty as tensions in the region continue.
