In the United Nations, China has long voted in support of the State of Palestine and against Israel. In 2024, public opinion polling showed a majority of Israelis consider China to be unfriendly or hostile toward Israel. In 2025, China's top diplomats condemned Israel's strikes on Iran.

Israel sees Iran as an existential threat. Israel has accused Iran of harboring genocidal intentions, while Iran has accused Israel of conducting a genocide in Gaza. Consequently, Israel has sought sanctions and military action against Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Former Prime Minister Bakhtiar, for example, recently claimed that there are over 20,000 Palestinian advisers in Iran. Other opponents of the Khomeini government have charged that Palestinians pilot Iranian aircraft or are present among the militants holding the US Embassy.