Beijing claims Iran has right to self-defense, condemns Haniyeh's assassination

In a phone call with Iran’s acting foreign minister on Sunday, China’s top diplomat repeated Beijing’s condemnation of the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and said the attack had violated Iran’s sovereignty. 

China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, emphasized to his Iranian counterpart that Beijing stands with Iran in its right to defend itself. 

"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," Wang was quoted as saying by the Chinese foreign ministry. 

Additionally, Wang also reportedly mentioned that Haniyeh’s killing, which took place in Tehran on July 31, had "directly undermined the Gaza ceasefire negotiation process and undermined regional peace and stability."

Blaming Israel

While no country has officially taken responsibility for the assassination, both Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel and have pledged to take revenge, with Tehran vowing to “harshly punish” Israel for the killing.

In line with Israel’s policy of strategic ambiguity regarding covert operations, Jerusalem has neither confirmed nor denied any role in Haniyeh’s death.