China Faults US-Israel Strikes on Iran, says Killing of Khamenei Violates International Law

China says the military operation led by the United States and Israel against Iran mid-negotiations violates international law.

US and Israel struck Iran on Saturday, hours after Washington and Tehran held rounds of talks aimed at striking a nuclear deal.

The nuclear talks between both parties were mediated by Oman and were progressive, according to both countries.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was killed in the strikes.

In a press conference on Tuesday in Beijing, Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, noted that Wang Yi, the foreign minister, held recent phone calls with Russian, Iranian, French and Omani counterparts to find ways of ending the conflict.

“Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out that it is unacceptable for the U.S. and Israel to launch attacks against Iran in the process of the ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations, still less to blatantly attack and kill a leader of a sovereign country and instigate government change,” Ning said.

“These actions have violated international law and basic norms of international relations.

“The following is China’s position: first, immediately stop the military operations; second, return to dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible; third, jointly oppose unilateral actions.”

Ning noted that China supports Iran in defending its sovereignty and security, territorial integrity and national dignity, and in safeguarding its own legitimate and lawful rights and interests.

“Major countries should not make use of their military advantages to arbitrarily attack other countries, and the world must not slip back to the law of the jungle,” she added.

The official said China would continue to play a constructive role and urged the international community to resist moves that violate basic norms governing international relations.