Khamenei’s Death in US–Israeli Strike Sparks Reverberations From Tehran to Beijing
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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.
Confirmation and Reaction
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Feb. 28 that Khamenei, whom he described as “one of the most evil people in history,” had been killed. He referred to the strike as justice for both the Iranian people and victims of Tehran-backed violence worldwide, and called on Iranians to seize what he described as an opportunity to “take back their country.”Khamenei had served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him one of the longest-ruling authoritarian leaders in the world. Under his leadership, Iran expanded its regional influence through a network of allied militias and armed groups.
The United States and many of its allies have long accused Iran of serving as a principal sponsor of militant groups across the Middle East. Organizations backed by Tehran have included Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the Quds Force.
Iran has denied supporting terrorism, framing its regional involvement as resistance to Western and Israeli influence. Still, Washington has imposed extensive sanctions on Tehran’s military and nuclear activities.
Khamenei’s death raises questions about succession within Iran’s clerical establishment and the stability of the country’s theocratic system, which combines religious authority with political control.
Strategic Stakes
China’s reaction has drawn attention from analysts who say Beijing has significant economic and geopolitical interests tied to Tehran.Xinhua published a biographical profile highlighting Khamenei’s leadership amid Western sanctions and economic pressure, crediting him with advancing what Iran termed a “resistance economy” strategy aimed at self-reliance. Other Chinese state-controlled outlets referred to him as a figure who opposed the United States and Israel.
China and Iran have deepened ties over the past decade. In 2021, the two countries signed a 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement covering energy, infrastructure, and security cooperation. Iran has also been a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a grouping of approximately 150 countries that signed agreements with Beijing in exchange for Chinese foreign investment.
Data from analytics firm Kpler in 2025 showed that more than 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports in recent years have flowed to China, often at discounted prices amid sanctions.
Chen Pokong, a U.S.-based Chinese political commentator, told The Epoch Times that Khamenei’s death could have ripple effects far beyond Iran. He said removing Iran’s supreme leader could weaken the cohesion of the country’s ruling structure and disrupt Beijing’s access to a key energy partner.
“The Chinese Communist Party had effectively sustained Iran’s regime by importing its oil, while Iran, through those oil exports, helped sustain a critical lifeline of China’s economy,” Chen said. “Now, under U.S. pressure on Iran, if control over that oil lifeline ultimately shifts to Washington, then a key artery of China’s economy would, in effect, fall under U.S. leverage.”
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) talks to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on Dec. 31, 2019. Noel Celis/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
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Potential Regional and Global Impact
Shen Ming-shih, a research fellow at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the consequences could extend across multiple theaters of geopolitical tension.He noted that Iran, Russia, and China have each, in different regions, sought to counterbalance U.S. influence—in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the Indo-Pacific, respectively.
“If Iran were to become a more pro-U.S. government, Beijing would lose a key strategic foothold in the Middle East, potentially complicating its broader ambitions to expand its influence as a global power,” Shen told The Epoch Times.
Shen said a change in Tehran’s leadership could reshape the trajectory of Iran-backed groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, potentially influencing regional stability.
