On March 1, 2026, the Kremlin published condolences regarding the elimination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The text used the harshest word — “murder”. But the main thing stands out: those who conducted the operation are not named. Neither the USA nor Israel — no one.
This is not a technical detail or a “protocol formality.” It is a political choice. And it looks like an attempt to “save face” at a time when reality has already outpaced Kremlin rhetoric.
Full text, posted on the Kremlin’s website:
“Dear Mr. President,
Please accept my deepest condolences on the murder of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ali Khamenei and members of his family, committed with a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.
In our country, Ayatollah Khamenei will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made a huge personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations, bringing them to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership.
Please convey the words of the most sincere sympathy and support to the relatives and friends of the Supreme Leader, the government, and all the people of Iran.
Vladimir Putin.”
The Supreme Leader of Iran was eliminated as a result of a large-scale strike on the facility where he was located. The operation involved the USA and Israel — countries that for many years considered the Iranian regime as the main source of regional instability and security threats.
Iranian authorities confirmed Khamenei’s death and declared 40 days of national mourning. It is reported that members of his family also died with him.
In fact, this is the largest political blow to the Iranian power system in decades.
The letter published on the Kremlin’s website is filled with words about “violations of international law” and “morality.”
However, the main point is immediately apparent: Russia, considered a strategic ally of Iran, limited itself to diplomatic text and effectively acknowledged its own impotence.
Khamenei was a key figure in the regime that, together with Moscow, formed the so-called anti-Western coalition — from military cooperation to supporting conflicts against Ukraine and Israel.
But when the leader of this regime was eliminated, no real protection was provided by the ally.
For Israel, this event is of strategic importance: it was the Khamenei regime that stood behind the financing and arming of anti-Israeli groups throughout the Middle East, the development of missile programs, and the promotion of the nuclear project.
Who was Khamenei for the region: an enemy of the USA and Israel and a key ally of the “axis”
Khamenei was not just a religious leader. For decades, he managed a system built on open hostility to the USA and Israel — ideological, military, and infrastructural.
At the same time, within Iran itself, his rule became a symbol of harsh suppression of freedoms and total control over society. Political opposition was effectively destroyed, independent media were closed, activists, journalists, and protest participants were massively subjected to arrests, torture, and long prison terms.
Mass demonstrations, regularly erupting in the country — from student protests to nationwide rallies in recent years — were suppressed by security forces using weapons. According to Iranian opposition and human rights organizations, during the dispersal of protests and subsequent repressions, the number of deaths may amount to tens of thousands of people. This concerns not only street clashes but also deaths in prisons, disappearances of people, and extrajudicial executions.
The state security apparatus under Khamenei turned into an instrument of power retention through fear. Any attempt at internal resistance was considered a threat to the regime and was suppressed as harshly as possible — often at the cost of the lives of its own citizens.
Simultaneously, Iran under Khamenei became the center of a regional network through which proxy structures and allied groups were supported and armed. It was this network that for years posed threats to Israel: missile programs, strike drones, financing of armed organizations, logistical routes for arms supplies, and political cover for radical forces throughout the Middle East.
For Russia, Iran under Khamenei was one of the key partners in the so-called “axis” of regimes relying on war, pressure, and repression as a tool of foreign policy. Moscow and Tehran were converging not just at the level of statements, but in real military cooperation and strategic coordination.
That is why the elimination of Khamenei is perceived not only as an event within Iran. It is a blow to the entire architecture of alliances of authoritarian regimes built on suppressing their own people and exporting instability beyond their borders.
Why Putin said “murder” but did not name the “murderers”
The word “murder” is a formula of accusation. But no accusation followed.
Because to call the USA and Israel that means moving from mourning rhetoric to direct confrontation. And confrontation requires the next step: actions, sanctions, pressure, breaking channels. The Kremlin is not ready for this.
Hence the construction that looks cowardly:
a loud word is there, but no addressee.
In this story, it is even more important not that Putin “does not know.” He cannot say it out loud without consequences for himself.
Separately: if officially calling Trump a “murderer,” how then to negotiate on Ukraine
Here everything is extremely pragmatic.
If the Kremlin officially bluntly calls the US president a “murderer,” it cuts off its own oxygen in negotiations. And without the USA, any serious agreements on Ukraine turn into empty noise.
After the public label “murderer,” the following happens:
- any contacts become toxic for both sides
- any agreement on Ukraine begins to look like “bargaining with a murderer”
- the Kremlin is forced to explain why yesterday it was a “murderer,” and today — a “deal partner”
That is why Putin chooses a gray scheme: to call the event a “murder,” but not to name the perpetrators. This way, one can simultaneously “express outrage” and leave a communication channel with Washington — in case bargaining on Ukraine is needed.
What this reaction says about Russia and the “axis” as a whole
The elimination of Khamenei in the current dynamics is perceived as an element of a broader trend: regimes that have long relied on fear, strength, and mutual support are beginning to lose stability.
Assad, Maduro, now Khamenei — and Moscow could not really protect any of its closest partners.
Three things follow from this logic:
1) Russia cannot be trusted as an ally.
In a critical moment, there are letters and formulations, but not real guarantees.
2) Russia’s war against Ukraine undermines Moscow’s influence.
The longer the aggression drags on, the fewer resources and diplomatic weight the Kremlin has to dictate terms anywhere else.
3) The dismantling of dictatorial regimes continues.
Not in the form of beautiful slogans, but as a chain of events showing: there are no more untouchables.
For years, Russia has been building a close alliance with Iran — from military cooperation to joint opposition to the West. However, at the moment when a key ally was destroyed, Moscow’s support was limited to a diplomatic letter.
In analytical materials NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency it is noted: such a reaction shows a sharp decline in Russia’s real influence even among its own partners.
In political rhetoric, this is formulated even more directly: the fall of dictatorships continues, and responsibility for international crimes sooner or later becomes inevitable.
Why this is a signal personally for Putin
The main political effect of what happened is psychological.
When the leader of a state, considered untouchable for decades, is eliminated, the very sense of stability of authoritarian regimes changes.
The event in Iran demonstrates: even the most closed and harsh systems of power do not have absolute protection.
That is why the Kremlin’s statement looks paradoxical — Putin acknowledged what happened as “murder,” but avoids naming those who did it.
Because recognition would mean acknowledging something else: the global balance of power is changing, and the era of impunity for dictators is gradually ending.
Why this is important for Israel: the region enters a zone of high turbulence
For Israel, the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader is not an abstract news “about a foreign capital.”
It is a potential change in the logic of decision-making in Tehran, the risk of internal elite showdowns, and an increased likelihood of retaliatory actions through proxy networks and direct strikes.
In such a situation, Moscow’s reaction is read as a separate signal: Russia demonstrates political closeness to Iran with words but leaves itself a “loophole” — not fixing who exactly, in its version, crossed the red line.
Briefly on the facts, without unnecessary words
Iran confirmed Khamenei’s death and declared a long national mourning. It was also reported that members of his family died.
The elimination was carried out by the USA and Israel.
Putin called it “murder,” but hesitated to name the “murderers” — because to name means to recognize the new balance of power and accept the consequences.