China condemns strikes on Iran and killing of Khamenei
China strongly condemned the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, calling them "unacceptable" and noting that they took place against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran on a nuclear deal.
This was announced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, according to Censor.NET, citing RBC-Ukraine.
China strongly condemns the strikes and violations of Iran's sovereignty
"The attack and assassination of Iran's supreme leader is a serious violation of Iran's sovereignty and security, a violation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations. China firmly opposes this and strongly condemns it," the statement said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry called for an immediate end to military operations, avoidance of further escalation of tensions, and joint efforts to protect peace and stability in the Middle East and the world.
Wang Yi and Lavrov called for a diplomatic settlement and an end to the conflict
The ministry also reported that today, March 1, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Wang Yi stated that at the insistence of China and Russia, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting yesterday on the current situation in Iran.
China consistently advocates adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and opposes the use of force in international relations. The attacks launched by the US and Israel against Iran during the negotiations between the US and Iran are unacceptable; the outright assassination of a sovereign leader and incitement to regime change are unacceptable," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry stressed that these actions violate international law and the basic norms of international relations.
"The conflict has now spread to the entire Persian Gulf, and the situation in the Middle East could be on the brink of a dangerous precipice. China is very concerned about this," the ministry added.
Wang Yi also noted that China's position is as follows:
- The immediate cessation of military action is crucial to prevent the spread and spillover of the conflict, as well as to avoid the situation escalating to an uncontrollable point. China values the security of the Gulf countries and supports their restraint.
- A swift return to dialogue and negotiations is essential. All parties must speak out strongly in favor of peace and urge those involved to return to the path of dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible.
- We need to stand together against unilateral actions. Attacking a sovereign country without the UN Security Council's approval messes with the peace deal that was set up after World War II.
Lavrov, in turn, said that the US and Israeli strikes on Iran had seriously undermined stability in the Middle East.
According to him, Russia allegedly shares the same position as China and is ready to strengthen coordination and communication with Beijing, sending a clear signal through platforms such as the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, calling for an immediate end to the war and a return to the diplomatic negotiation process.
Strikes on Iran on February 28
- As a reminder, on the morning of February 28, Israel launched an operation to bomb the Iranian capital Tehran. This is a joint operation with the US armed forces.
- Israel called the operation against Iran "Roaring Lion," while the US called it "Epic Fury."
- US President Donald Trump said that the goal of the operation against Iran is to "destroy Iran's missile industry and navy" and "ensure that Iran cannot destabilize the world."
- Trump accused Iran of "financing and training" militants in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Hamas in Palestine.
- The Israeli Defense Forces reported that it had deployed more than 200 fighter jets to strike 500 targets in Iran.
- On the evening of February 28, a senior Israeli official told Reuters that Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed this morning in an Israeli airstrike on Iran. His body has already been found.
- Subsequently, US President Donald Trump confirmed the death of Ayatollah Khamenei.
