China was not informed about the US-Israeli plan to attack Iran that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, its foreign ministry said on Monday in the first reaction to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Chinese embassies and consulates promptly started carrying out evacuation and relief work as Khamenei’s assassination sparked fierce retaliatory strikes from Iran on Israel and Gulf nations hosting American military bases, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, adding that over 3,000 people had been evacuated so far.