Putin says killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei is ‘cynical violation’ of morality and law

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MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 1 slammed the United States and Israel’s

killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

as a “cynical violation” of morality and law.

Tehran has stood by as one of Russia’s closest allies throughout Moscow’s Ukraine offensive, and the Kremlin earlier called for restraint in the run-up to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

On March 1, the Kremlin published a letter that Mr Putin sent to his Iranian counterpart, Mr Masoud Pezeshkian, in which he expressed his “deepest condolences for the assassination of” Mr Khamenei.

He said the killing was “carried out in a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law”.

Mr Putin said Mr Khamenei “will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made an enormous personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations”.

He asked Mr Pezeshkian to “convey my most sincere sympathy and support to the relatives and loved ones of the Supreme Leader, to the government and to the entire people of Iran”.

Russia condemned on

Feb 28 the strikes on Iran

as a “dangerous adventure” that could spark “catastrophe” in the region.

Also on Feb 28, Moscow’s top diplomat, Mr Sergei Lavrov, spoke by phone with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with the Russian ministry stressing that the call was held “at the initiative of the Iranian side”.

In 2025, Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership treaty aimed at strengthening ties, including in military matters. AFP