China's government condemned the United States and Israel for their strikes on Iran, calling them a "violation of international law." With one Chinese national killed in the incident while in the country, China evacuated more than 3,000 of its citizens and emphasized coordination with the international community to resolve the crisis.
Mao Ning, Spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 2nd that "the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran without authorization from the U.N. Security Council, which violates international law and seriously undermines Iran's sovereignty and security."
In particular, regarding the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, she said, "Attacking and killing the leader of a sovereign state tramples on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and the basic norms of international relations," adding, "China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this."
Mao said the only way to overcome the current crisis is "dialogue and negotiations through political and diplomatic means," warning that the United States' and Israel's adherence to hegemonic policies could bring another catastrophe to the Middle East. She also claimed that China received no prior notification from the U.S. regarding this military action.
China is also accelerating its multilateral response, including pushing with Russia to convene an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting. Spokesperson Mao said, "We support the Security Council in fulfilling its role and will also safeguard international fairness and justice through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)." She added that because safety in the Strait of Hormuz is directly tied to global energy trade, maintaining stability in the region aligns with the common interests of the international community.
Meanwhile, civilian casualties from the armed clashes have been confirmed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said one Chinese national died in Tehran due to the spillover from the military confrontation and pledged support for the bereaved family. Anticipating a worsening situation, the Chinese government has so far evacuated more than 3,000 citizens from Iran and strongly urged those remaining to immediately move to a safe location.