The remarks come after US and Israel i strikes on February 28 that Iranian authorities and multiple media reports said killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a widening conflict across the Middle East. Iran has since launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and on US-linked interests in several regional countries, particularly in the Gulf.

Pezeshkian, who sits on a three-member interim leadership council formed after Khamenei’s death, also sought to reassure neighbouring states after Iranian strikes in the region. “I must apologise… to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran,” he said, adding that they would not be targeted unless attacks originated from their territory.

He said the interim council had agreed to halt strikes on neighbouring countries going forward. “No more attacks will be made on neighbouring countries, and no missiles will be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries,” he said.

Chinese foreign ministry statement said the attack was “a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security ” that “tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations.”

“China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it,” the statement added, urging “an immediate stop to the military operations” and warning against “any further escalation of the tense situation.”

Beijing’s strongest leverage is diplomatic; it is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has joined other countries in calling for restraint and a return to negotiations, even as fighting spreads across multiple fronts.

But China’s reported ability to broker a quick off-ramp may be limited. While Beijing has built close ties with Tehran and has previously helped mediate major Middle East diplomacy, including the Saudi-Iran détente , it has far less influence over Israel and the United States, who are central to any ceasefire plan.

China also has clear economic reasons to push for calm, including protecting regional stability and energy flows. China has been Iran’s biggest export market since 2019 and its largest source of imports since 2014, but Iran still makes up less than 1% of China’s total global trade.

In 2025, China bought more than 80% of Iran’s seaborne oil exports, typically at a steep discount, and those purchases made up about 13.4% (roughly 13.5%) of China’s total oil imports by sea.

South Africa’s presidency says President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered that Iran be asked to withdraw from the drills, but reports suggest Iranian ships remained in the area and were even shown as participating in parts of the exercise, the Citizen reports.

The situation has prompted questions about civilian control over the military after the Democratic Alliance (DA) called for an urgent parliamentary debate to clarify whether the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) ignored the president’s instruction. The DA says the apparent defiance, including a now-deleted SANDF statement listing Iranian vessels as active participants, undermines standard military accountability.

A Defence Minister Angie Motshekga says she communicated the president’s order and has appointed a board of inquiry to investigate whether it was ignored or misrepresented by defence officials. The investigation is expected to report back within a week of the drill’s end.

The presence of Iranian ships has also drawn criticism from the United States, whose embassy in Pretoria said reports that Iran participated in the exercises were of “concern and alarm,” warning that including Iranian forces described by some as a destabilising actor could undermine regional security and South Africa’s international reputation.