China has described Iran's choice of a new supreme leader as its internal decision. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, speaking on Monday after Mojtaba Khamenei was named as Iran's new supreme leader, said the decision was made by the country based on its own constitution.

At a daily news conference in Beijing, Guo said China has taken note of relevant reports.

Guo added that China opposes interference in the internal affairs of other countries under any pretext, and stressed that Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.

Guo repeated China's calls for an immediate halt to military operations and urged all parties to resume dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible to prevent further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.