Chinese spokesman’s statement comes after Israeli forces threaten to persecute any successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
China declared this Monday (March 9, 2026) that it opposes any attack against the new supreme leader of Iran, son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – in the joint attacks by the United States and Israel on February 28.
“China opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext, and Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity must be respected.”Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters, according to . He further stated that the decision to appoint a new leader “it is a choice by the Iranian side based on its Constitution”.
The Chinese spokesperson’s statement comes after the Israeli armed forces threatened to persecute all successors of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than 3 decades.
Last Thursday (5th March), the president of the USA, (Republican Party), also declared that Mojtaba Khamenei’s choice was . “They are wasting time. Khamenei’s son is dead weight. I need to be involved in the nomination, like I did with Delcy in Venezuela”Trump, referring to the interim president of Venezuela, (MSV, left), who took power after the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a body made up of 88 clerics responsible for choosing the highest authority of the Islamic Republic, announced on Sunday (8 March) Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader. His rise signals the Iranian government’s desire to maintain continuity in power.
WHO IS MOJTABA KHAMENEI
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is the 2nd son of Ali Khamenei and serves as a mid-level cleric. Although he has never held elected office, he is considered an influential figure behind the scenes of the regime.
He maintains close links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij paramilitary militia, central forces in the Iranian political and military system.
According to authorities cited by international agencies, the Guard would have pushed for his choice, arguing that he has the conditions to lead the country in the midst of the current crisis.
CLIMBING IN TENSION
The event was held after weeks of tension between the 2 countries. On February 19, Trump stated that, within 10 days, he would know whether to give “one step forward” in relation to an attack against the Persian country.
Afterwards, the Republican declared that everyone, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, Dan Caine, considers that a possible war against Iran would result in one.
In , on February 24, Trump said that the US had not yet heard Iran pronounce “those magic words: ‘we will never have a nuclear weapon’”. In his speech, the American president stated that the Persian regime “has already developed missiles that could threaten Europe and our bases abroad, and is working to build missiles that will soon reach the USA”.
Trump’s statements were made while dealing with Iran, which did not result in an agreement.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the country if the Americans recognized its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and lifted economic sanctions.
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