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The Iranian Embassy in China held a memorial service for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Friday.

Global Times reporters arrived at the Iranian Embassy in China at around 3 pm on that bitterly cold afternoon, and found some people already gathered at the embassy's entrance, with diplomatic vehicles frequently entering and exiting.

The Iranian flag inside the embassy compound was flying at half-mast, GT reporters noticed. Photos of Khamenei in his classic waving gesture were displayed at the embassy's entrance, at the central location within the compound, and beside the condolence book table, accompanied by text reading "The martyred leader, Grand Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei" in Chinese, English, and Persian.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Miao Deyu visited the Iranian Embassy in China on Thursday to offer condolences, expressing on behalf of the Chinese side profound sorrow over the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to a statement released on the official website of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.

GT reporters also noticed that many mourners laid flowers beneath the largest photo at the very center. White chrysanthemum wreaths were also arranged on both sides of the photo and in the central indoor area of the embassy building.

Iran confirmed on March 1 that its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes the previous day, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The US-Israeli strikes on Iran have set off a regional exchange of fire, leading to increasing casualties and major political and security consequences, with impacts rippling across the region, Xinhua reported.

"This is not acceptable, not according to international law, not according to any other regulations in the world. And it is also (not according to) the ideas of human being and human feeling," Abolfazl Olamaei Far, deputy head of mission at the embassy of Iran in China, told the Global Times on Friday.

In response to a media inquiry regarding military strikes against Iran by the US and Israel that resulted in the death of Khamenei, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Monday that the attack and killing of Iran's supreme leader is a grave violation of Iran's sovereignty and security. 

Mao said it tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. 

"We urge for an immediate stop to the military operations, no further escalation of the  situation and joint effort to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East and the world at large," Mao added.