China supports Iran in defending security, says foreign minister
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the strike which caused the death of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran had violated Iran’s sovereignty.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
BEIJING - China supports Iran in defending its “sovereignty, security and national dignity”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iran’s acting Foreign Minister in a phone call on Aug 11, according to a statement by China’s Foreign Ministry.
In the phone call, Mr Wang repeated Beijing’s denunciation of the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh
Iran and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out a strike that killed Haniyeh.
Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility for the killing, which has fuelled concern that the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is turning into a wider Middle East war.
Iran has vowed to “harshly punish” Israel over the assassination.
Mr Wang told Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Khan that the killing of Haniyeh had “directly undermined the Gaza ceasefire negotiation process and undermined regional peace and stability”, China’s Foreign Ministry said.
“China supports Iran in defending its sovereignty, security and national dignity in accordance with the law, and in its efforts to maintain regional peace and stability, and stands ready to maintain close communication with Iran,” Mr Wang was quoted as saying.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Aug 11 nominated Mr Abbas Araqchi as the country’s foreign minister
