Pakistani Premier Sharif congratulates Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Iran's new supreme leader

ISTANBUL

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday congratulated Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Sharif also reiterated "condolences and prayers on behalf of the people of Pakistan on the martyrdom of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other family members" in a statement on US social media company X.

"I am confident that the new Supreme Leader would guide Iran towards peace, stability and prosperity, in the years ahead," Sharif added.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, became Iran’s third supreme leader. His father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held the position for nearly four decades before a joint US-Israel airstrike on Feb. 28 hit his Tehran home, killing him at age 86.

Iran's 88-member Assembly of Experts announced its decision to pick Mojtaba as the next supreme leader on Sunday night.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun also reiterated support for the appointment during a news conference on Tuesday, stating that Mojtaba's appointment is "based on the country’s Constitution."

"Non-interference in other countries' internal affairs is a basic norm in international relations," he said, referring to US President Donald Trump's remarks about having someone else in mind to replace Mojtaba.

Russia, Iraq, Oman, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Georgia have formally congratulated Iran on the appointment.

Indonesia also said Tuesday that it "respects Iranian sovereignty" after the appointment.

Tensions in the region surged after the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, which Tehran says killed about 1,300 people, including senior Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and several Gulf countries hosting US military assets.