MOSCOW/TEHRAN: Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, offering heartfelt condolences for the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other senior officials killed in recent US-Israeli strikes.
The call marked the first confirmed dialogue between the two leaders since the dramatic escalation that decapitated Iran’s leadership. Putin expressed sorrow over the assassination of Khamenei, his family members, and the country’s military and political leadership, as well as the numerous civilian casualties resulting from what the Kremlin described as “armed aggression” against Iran.
Reaffirming Moscow’s principled stance, Putin called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and rejected the use of force as a method to resolve issues surrounding Iran or elsewhere in the Middle East. He stressed the urgent need for a swift return to diplomatic solutions.
The Russian President informed his Iranian counterpart that he remains in constant contact with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, signaling ongoing efforts to manage the broader regional fallout from the crisis.
For his part, President Pezeshkian expressed gratitude for Russia’s solidarity with the Iranian people as they defend their sovereignty and national independence. He provided Putin with a detailed update on the developments during the latest active phase of the conflict, though specifics of the military situation were not disclosed in the official readout.
The conversation underscores the deepening strategic alignment between Moscow and Tehran as both face escalating pressure from Western powers and now confront a dramatically altered power dynamic in Iran following the removal of its longtime Supreme Leader.
