Xi Jinping Condemns Killing of Khamenei, China Denounces US-Israel Actions

China has issued a forceful condemnation of the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States and Israel, with the government calling for an immediate cessation of military operations in the region.

President Xi Jinping’s administration stated through the Foreign Ministry that the killing constitutes a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security. Officials declared that the actions undertaken by the two allied nations against Tehran breach the objectives and principles enshrined in the UN Charter and fundamental norms of international relations.

“China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this,” the statement read on Sunday, with officials reiterating their position on Monday, 2 March 2026. “Immediate cessation of military operations,” they added.

The condemnation came immediately after Chinese state media reported a telephone conversation between Beijing’s senior diplomat Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. According to the state news agency Xinhua, Lavrov initiated the call.

Wang asserted that the open killing of a leader of a sovereign state and incitement for regime change by the United States and Israel were wholly unacceptable. China expressed serious concern that the situation in the Middle East could be pushed toward a dangerous precipice.

“The international community must send a definite and clear message opposing the world’s regression into the law of the jungle,” Wang stated.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin characterised the killing as “a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law”. In recent days, Beijing has urged its citizens in Iran to evacuate the country as soon as possible.

Additionally, China has called upon holders of Chinese passports to leave Iran via visa-free overland routes, with available paths through Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey.