Beijing [China], March 1 (ANI): China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a violation of basic tenets of international law and the United Nations Charter.
A spokesperson for the ministry urged an end to the escalation.
In a post on X, the ministry said, “The attack and killing of Iran’s supreme leader is a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security. It tramples on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and basic norms in international relations. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. We urge an immediate stop to the military operations, no further escalation of the tense situation, and a joint effort to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East and the world at large.”
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday that attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran during U.S.-Iran negotiations were “unacceptable,” according to state news agency Xinhua.
Wang said the “blatant killing of a sovereign leader” and incitement of regime change were unacceptable, after Iran reported Khamenei’s death on Saturday, The Jerusalem Post reported. China is calling for an immediate cessation of military action, a return to dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible, and joint opposition to unilateral actions, Wang said.
The United States and Israel launched their attacks early Saturday, targeting Iran’s military capabilities. China’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday expressed concern over the strikes and called for an immediate ceasefire, urging all sides to avoid escalation and resume dialogue and negotiation. It said Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected, according to The Jerusalem Post.
On Sunday, China’s embassy in Israel issued a notice advising Chinese citizens in Israel to move to safer areas within the country as soon as possible or to leave for Egypt via the Taba border crossing.
China’s Foreign Ministry also urged Chinese citizens in Iran to leave “as soon as possible,” listing four land routes to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey and Iraq.
In a commentary Sunday, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency criticized the attack, calling it “brazen aggression against a sovereign nation” and “power politics and hegemony.” Xinhua said Washington’s use of military coercion was a “flagrant violation” of the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and a departure from fundamental norms of international relations.
Separately, Hong Kong-based airline operator Cathay Group on Saturday suspended operations in the Middle East, affecting passenger flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh, as well as freighter services through Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, the company said in a statement, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Cathay Group, the parent company of Cathay Pacific Airways, said it is rerouting flights that typically pass over the affected area. The conflict has caused widespread flight disruptions and cancellations. (ANI)
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