Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, as a “cynical murder” that violates international law.
In his first official remarks following the reported US-Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent retaliatory attacks, Putin strongly criticised the operation, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.
The Kremlin leader said Khamenei’s death breached “all norms of human morality and international law,” and stated that the Iranian leader would be remembered in Russia as an “outstanding statesman.”
Moscow and Tehran have maintained close ties for years, particularly in the areas of defence and military cooperation. Iran has supplied Russia with drones and ballistic missiles and has assisted in the development of a drone manufacturing facility amid Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Putin’s remarks followed a statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry, which condemned the US and Israeli strikes on Iran as a “reckless step” and an “unprovoked act of armed aggression.”
The developments mark a further escalation in tensions across the region, as global powers react to the fallout from the strikes and Iran’s response.
