BEIJING
China said Monday that Iran’s decision to name Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader following the killing of his father was a domestic matter, and it opposed any attempt to target him.
Israel’s military has threatened to target any successor to former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed over a week ago in a first wave of US and Israeli strikes on Iran. China’s foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters on Monday that Iran’s decision to appoint the younger Khamenei was “based on its 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 the threats against the new leader.
Israel and the United States have continued in recent days to pound Iran, which has retaliated by launching waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf neighbors hosting US forces.
Israel’s reaction: direct and aggressive Israel, by contrast, has taken a markedly confrontational stance. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that any new leader linked to Iran’s ruling elite would be “an unequivocal target for elimination”.
The Israeli military stated that it would hold successors personally accountable, a message highlighting Jerusalem’s readiness to continue targeted operations against Iranian leadership figures it perceives as threats.
Even before Mojtaba Khamenei’s formal appointment, Israel had stepped up strikes on Iranian infrastructure and proxy positions in the region, demonstrating its willingness to apply pressure not just on policy but on individuals associated with Tehran’s strategic direction.
Mojtaba Khamenei, reportedly close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is seen by analysts as a continuation of Iran’s hardline policies rather than a turn toward moderation. His selection maintains the ideological path established by his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and signals the persistence of the established power structure.
Experts note that many Iranians had hoped for a shift toward a system led by elected officials rather than a clerical figure. That aspiration, observers say, appears curtailed by the ongoing pressures of regional conflict and foreign intervention.
