On March 1st, in an official message posted on the Kremlin website, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his deepest condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
President Putin expressed sympathy to the family of the late cardinal and the entire people of the Gulf nation in the face of this great loss.
Mr. Putin strongly condemned the assassination, calling it a blatant violation of all human ethical standards and international law.
In Russia, Mr. Khamenei will always be remembered as a brilliant leader who devoted his personal enthusiasm to bringing Russia-Iran relations to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership.
His departure is considered by Moscow as a loss not only to Tehran but also to the stability of the regional security structure that the two countries have been building together for decades.
The message from Moscow was issued immediately after the Iranian military confirmed that leader Ali Khamenei and many senior military officials were killed in the US-Israel coalition attacks that began on February 28.
The list of deceased officials also includes key figures such as Chief of the General Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, IRGC Commander Mohammad Pakpour, Secretary of the National Defense Council Ali Shamkhani and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.
The deaths of a series of top generals and heads of the defense apparatus have pushed Iran into the most serious leadership crisis since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
In that context, the spiritual support from Russia is seen as an important move to strengthen the diplomatic posture for Tehran in the face of pressure from the West.
Experts believe that Russia-Iran relations may become even tighter as both countries are facing common security challenges in the Middle East region.
