When American and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Beijing responded with ritual condemnation. Chinese officials denounced violations of sovereignty. State media warned against escalation. The foreign ministry urged restraint and called for stability in the Strait of Hormuz.
But what China did not do was more telling. It did not mobilize. It did not airlift weapons. It did not pledge security guarantees. It did not threaten retaliation.
