When Iranian leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.–Israeli strike on Feb. 28, celebrations broke out in parts of Iran. However, in Beijing, the reaction was restrained and, at times, sympathetic to the Iranian regime.
Chinese state-run outlet Xinhua initially relayed Iranian denials of Khamenei’s death. However, after Iranian state broadcaster IRIB confirmed on March 1 that the 86-year-old leader had died in the attack, Chinese state media outlets shifted tone, referring to his death as an “assassination” and using language typically reserved for respected fallen officials, including references to a mourning period.
