China Shocked by Israel's Military Permission to Kill Iranian Officials

Beijing (ANTARA) - China is shocked by the Israeli government’s decision to grant its military permission to target Iranian officials without seeking approval, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been authorised to kill high-ranking Iranian targets without needing further approval from Israeli leadership.

“China is shocked by the statement,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a press conference.

Beijing firmly opposes the use of force in international relations and considers the assassination of Iranian leaders and attacks on civilian targets to be unacceptable actions, he said.

China also urged all parties to immediately halt hostilities to prevent further escalation in the region.

Katz said on Tuesday that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani had been killed in an Israeli operation in Tehran, along with Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force. The Iranian government confirmed that both officials had become martyrs.

On 4 March, Katz also stated that any new Iranian leader would become an “unconditional elimination target” for the Israeli military.