BEIJING
\nChina said Monday that Iran\u2019s 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.
\nIsrael\u2019s 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\u2019s foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters on Monday that Iran\u2019s decision to appoint the younger Khamenei was \u201cbased on its constitution.\u201d
\n\u201cChina opposes interference in other countries\u2019 internal affairs under any pretext, and Iran\u2019s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be respected,\u201d he said when asked about the threats against the new leader.
\nIsrael 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.
\nIsrael\u2019s 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\u2019s ruling elite would be \u201can unequivocal target for elimination\u201d.
\nThe Israeli military stated that it would hold successors personally accountable, a message highlighting Jerusalem\u2019s readiness to continue targeted operations against Iranian leadership figures it perceives as threats.
\nEven before Mojtaba Khamenei\u2019s 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\u2019s strategic direction.
\nMojtaba Khamenei, reportedly close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is seen by analysts as a continuation of Iran\u2019s 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.
\nExperts 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BEIJING China said Monday that Iran\u2019s 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\u2019s military has threatened to target any successor to former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed over a week ago […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":535802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-535792","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n