‘No popular support’: China warns against regime change in Iran | Israel-Iran conflict news

Beijing demands that Iran’s sovereignty be respected and that it ‘immediately cease military operations’ in the Middle East.

China has warned against seeking government change in Iran amid the ongoing US-Israeli offensive, saying any such move lacks public support.

“The plot of a color revolution or a change of government will not get any popular support,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news conference on the sidelines of a major annual meeting in Beijing, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

Wang called for the sovereignty of Iran and all countries to be respected, and urged an “immediate halt to military operations” in the Middle East to prevent escalation and conflict spillover.

“It’s a war that shouldn’t happen, and it’s a war that doesn’t do anyone any good,” Wang said. “Force provides no solution, and armed conflict increases hatred and creates new crises.”

He said that the people of the Middle East are the real masters of the region and the affairs of the region should be decided independently by the countries there, urging non-interference in internal affairs.

“A strong fist is not a strong reason. The world cannot return to the law of the jungle,” he told reporters.

Wang urged “all sides” to return to the negotiating table “as soon as possible” to resolve differences through dialogue and work to realize common security.

China, he said, is ready to work with regional countries to “restore order to the Middle East, calm its people and bring peace to the world”.

According to a classified US National Intelligence Council report, a large-scale US military invasion is unlikely to topple Iran’s military and clerical power structure.

A report published by The Washington Post on Saturday, citing three sources familiar with the classified document – downplays US President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran’s leadership can be “cleansed” and a preferred successor installed, suggesting that such an outcome is far from certain.

Beijing has condemned the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Wang maintained that China’s ties with Russia, which has been criticized by the West for sustaining the war in Ukraine, are “stable and unwavering”.