After the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Russian authorities publicly condemned U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran. The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin described Khamenei’s killing as a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law” and called for an end to military action. Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued statements criticising the start of a military operation against Iran. On 3 March 2026, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had seen no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons.
Dmitry Medvedev warned that efforts aimed at changing Iran’s leadership could lead to a third world war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Iran’s membership of BRICS does not entail an obligation to provide assistance in the event of armed aggression. Russian authorities did not announce any decision to provide Iran with military support in connection with the ongoing attacks.
