China Criticises Trump’s Comment On Iran’s Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

China has criticised comments by former United States president, Donald Trump, regarding the emergence of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, urging countries to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other nations.

Trump had reacted to Mojtaba’s emergence by suggesting that the Islamic Republic’s new leader would require approval from the United States government.

“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump told ABC News on Sunday. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long.”

Responding to the remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said Beijing opposes any form of external interference in the domestic matters of sovereign states.

He stated that China “opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext,” adding that Mojtaba’s emergence was in line with the provisions of Iran’s constitution.

Guo also called for respect for Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity while urging parties involved in the current tensions to de-escalate.

“China calls for an immediate cessation of military operations, a return to dialogue and negotiations, and efforts to ease tensions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has expressed support for Iran’s new leader.

In a congratulatory message to Mojtaba, Putin assured him of Russia’s solidarity and support, urging him to lead with “great courage and dedication.”

Born in 1969 in Mashhad, about a decade before the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Mojtaba studied at the Islamic Seminary in Qom, where he developed close ties with influential clerical figures.

Following the fall of the Shah during the revolution, his family relocated to Tehran.

Mojtaba later rose in influence after his father, Ali Khamenei, assumed power in 1989 and ruled for 37 years before his death in joint U.S.-Israel strikes last weekend.