Khamenei’s Death in US–Israeli Strike Sparks Reverberations From Tehran to Beijing

As Iran enters a leadership transition, China’s measured response underscores the strategic and energy stakes tied to Tehran.

A man in Atlanta, Georgia, holds a U.S. flag and a sign with a portrait of the Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed during U.S.-Israel military operations against the Islamic Republic, on Feb. 28, 2026. Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images

When Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.–Israeli strike on Feb. 28, celebrations broke out in parts of Iran. In Beijing, however, the reaction was restrained and, at times, sympathetic to the Iranian regime.

Chinese state-run media 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 shifted tone, referring to his death as an “assassination” and using language typically reserved for respected fallen officials, including references to a mourning period.