Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a ‘cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law’, according to a statement released by the Kremlin on Sunday.
Khamenei was killed on Saturday in Tehran during a joint US-Israeli airstrike targeting Iran. In a condolence message addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin expressed deep sympathy over what he described as an assassination carried out in breach of fundamental legal and moral principles.
“Please accept my deepest condolences in connection with the assassination of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family, committed in a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law,” Putin said in the message published on the Kremlin’s official portal.
Earlier the same day, Russia denounced the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, characterising them as ‘unprovoked aggression’ against a sovereign nation and a breach of international law. The Russian Foreign Ministry described the attacks as a ‘pre-planned’ act of aggression against an independent United Nations member state and called for an immediate return to diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
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In response to the rapidly deteriorating situation, Putin convened an emergency online meeting of Russia’s National Security Council on Saturday to assess developments following the strikes and Iran’s reported retaliatory actions.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that more than 200,000 Russian nationals are currently stranded across the Middle East due to widespread airspace closures by Iran and several Gulf countries amid escalating hostilities.
The crisis has disrupted travel not only for organised tour groups, but also for independent travellers and business visitors. Alexey Volkov, president of the National Union of Hospitality Industry, said approximately 2,00,000 people were unable either to leave the United Arab Emirates or return home from holiday destinations such as the Maldives and other countries.
The UAE has served as a crucial transit hub for Russian travellers since the onset of the Ukraine conflict and the closure of European Union airspace to Russian civilian aircraft under sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Volkov noted that the situation remains ‘complex and unpredictable’, pointing out that drone and missile strikes have reportedly affected key tourist areas in the UAE, including some of its most prominent hotels.
He added that the impact extends beyond leisure travellers. “There are also many individuals who are not counted as tourists but are traveling for business,” Volkov said, highlighting that the Middle East has emerged as a significant commercial centre for Russian capital, investment, and enterprises in recent years.
As tensions escalate across the region, Russian authorities continue to monitor the situation closely while urging diplomatic solutions to prevent further instability.
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