‘Violation of all norms’: Putin blasts the US and Israel for strikes and the killing of Khamenei

Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly condemned the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling the death a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.” Putin’s remarks came in the wake of joint strikes by the United States and Israel that resulted in Khamenei’s death on Saturday.

Per Fox News, Putin delivered his condemnation in a letter addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which the Kremlin made public. “Please accept my deep condolences in connection with the murder of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family,” Putin wrote. 

Putin stated that in Russia, the Ayatollah “will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made a huge personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations and bringing them to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.” Putin asked Pezeshkian to extend his “most sincere sympathy and support to the family and friends of the Supreme Leader, the government and the entire people of Iran.”

Isn’t this an astounding show of admiration, from one authoritarian to another

The bold daytime strikes on Saturday were quite significant. The initial attacks might have caused tragic casualties at a school, but they also eliminated Khamenei along with several other top Iranian leaders, including the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. This action has certainly ratcheted up tensions in the region and Trump has been facing criticism for going back on old statements.

President Donald Trump had ordered “Operation Epic Fury” on Saturday morning, saying; “It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon.” He explained that the strikes were intended to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” noting that Iran had repeatedly refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Meanwhile, at a United Nations Security Council meeting, Iranian Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani condemned the strikes, accusing the U.S. of undermining its own claims of pursuing international stability. He argued that “neither the charter nor international law recognize internal matters of a state as justification for the use of force by other states,” warning that such actions would replace “the rule of law with the rule of force.”

Iravani also called the attack a continuation of U.S. aggression, pointing out that this was the second time in recent months that the United States, “jointly and in coordination with the Israeli regime,” had initiated an “unprovoked and premeditated aggression” against Iran, referencing earlier strikes against Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites last year. 

The ambassador highlighted that Trump and Nethanyahu had “openly claimed responsibility for this act of aggression” and “explicitly articulated regime change as their objective,” which he described as an “unmistakable admission of their intent to violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Iravani concluded by asserting that Iran “will continue to exercise its right of self-defense decisively and without hesitation until the aggression ceases in full and unequivocal terms.”