Putin slams killing of Iran’s Khamenei but offers little beyond condolences so far

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Trump warns Iran as new strikes follow Khamenei’s death Global gas markets face their biggest shock since 2022 on Iran conflict U.S. dollar seen strengthening as U.S.-Israel strikes intensify Regional leaders warned Trump of $100+ oil threat, analyst says (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Putin slams killing of Iran’s Khamenei but offers little beyond condolences so far By Reuters Commodities Published 03/01/2026, 07:22 AM Updated 03/01/2026, 07:24 AM Putin slams killing of Iran’s Khamenei but offers little beyond condolences so far 0 CL 2.78% By Guy Faulconbridge and Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW, March 1 - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday condemned the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a "cynical" murder but he offered little in public to Moscow’s ally beyond condolences. Khamenei is the third Russian ally to be toppled in the past 15 months, following the falls of Moscow‑backed leaders in Syria and Venezuela. His death leaves the Kremlin facing a strategic setback in a region where it has long sought greater influence. Russia says this weekend’s U.S. and Israeli attacks have thrust the entire Middle East into the abyss, although some Iranian sources have said that they have had little real help from Moscow in the biggest crisis for Iran since the U.S.-backed Shah was toppled in the 1979 revolution. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year openly speculated that Israel could prompt regime change, Putin cautioned that Iranian society could consolidate around the political leadership there. Putin conveyed his condolences to the family of Khamenei, the government of Iran and the people of Iran in a note to President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Kremlin said. "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, committed in cynical violation of all norms o...