"Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday condemned the death of Iran's National Security Council member Ali Larijani, calling the Israeli air strikes on civilian targets 'unacceptable'. "The killing of Iranian leaders and attacks on civilian targets are by no means acceptable. As the conflict rages on in the Middle East [...] the international community is widely calling for an early ceasefire and an end to hostilities," Lin said during a press conference in Beijing. The remarks come after a statement by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has 'authorised' the IDF to eliminate any senior Iranian official ‘without prior or additional' approval. Lin also reconfirmed that Special Envoy Zhai Jun recently visited the Middle East to carry out diplomatic engagements amid ongoing regional tensions. "He met with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Egypt, as well as the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the League of Arab States," the spokesperson said. "Security and territorial integrity of GCC countries should be fully respected, non-military targets should not be attacked, and the safe navigation of shipping lanes should not be interrupted,” he added. Iran confirmed the death of Larijani in an Israeli airstrike, after Israel first reported his death. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported a huge wave of missile strikes on Israel "in revenge for the blood of martyr Dr Ali Larijani and his companions." The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and US assets in the region. The conflict soon widened to Israel and Hezbollah trading strikes across the border with Lebanon. According to the most recent figures, the Iranian side has reported over 1,400 dead."