‘No popular support’: China warns against government change in Iran

Beijing calls for Iran’s sovereignty to be respected and demands ‘immediate stop to military operations’ in the Middle East.Published On 8 Mar 2026China has warned against seeking government change in Iran amid the ongoing US-Israeli offensive, saying any such move lacks public support.“Plotting a ‘colour’ revolution or seeking government change will find no popular support,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news conference on the sidelines of an important annual gathering in Beijing, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran war: What is happening on day nine of US-Israel attacks?list 2 of 4Iranian authorities warn against ‘fifth column’, as no signs of war abatinglist 3 of 4Caught between Iran and Saudi Arabia, can Pakistan stay neutral for long?list 4 of 4War against Iran: How far will it go?end of listWang also called for the sovereignty of Iran and all countries to be respected, and demanded an “immediate stop to military operations” in the Middle East to prevent an escalation and avoid a spillover of the conflict.“This is a war that should not have happened, and it is a war that does no one any good,” Wang said. “Force provides no solution, and armed conflict will only increase hatred and breed new crises.”The people of the Middle East are the true masters of this region, and the region’s affairs should be determined by the countries there independently, he said, urging noninterference in internal affairs.“A strong fist does not mean strong reason. The world cannot return to the law of the jungle,” he told reporters.Wang urged “all sides” to return to the negotiating table “as quickly as possible” to resolve differences through dialogue, and work to realise common security.China, he added, stands ready to work with the regional countries to “restore order to the Middle East, calm to its people, and peace to the world”.According to a classified US National Intelligence Council report, even a large-scale US military offensive would be unlikely to overthrow Iran’s military and clerical power structure.