Moscow, March 1 The killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared in his message to his Tehranian counterpart, the Kremlin said Sunday.
Khamenei was killed in an airstrike in Tehran on Saturday during a joint Israel-US attack on Iran.
“Please accept my deepest condolences regarding the assassination of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family, which was committed in a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law,” Putin said in his condolence message.
Putin's condolence message to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was published on the Kremlin portal.
Earlier on Saturday, Russia condemned the US-Israeli joint strikes on Iran, describing it as an “unprovoked” aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law, and called for an immediate return to diplomacy.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also described the US and Israeli forces' strikes against Iranian territory as “a pre-planned” act of aggression against an independent UN member state.
Putin also conducted an emergency meeting of the National Security Council online on Saturday to discuss the emerging situation following the US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliation.
Meanwhile, according to reports, more than 200,000 Russians are stranded in the region due to the closure of Iranian and Gulf airspace.
The situation in the Middle East and the airport closures have affected not only organized tourists from Russia registered with tour operators, but also those traveling on business trips and independently, state-run TASS news agency reported.
“Approximately 200,000 people are unable to leave the UAE or return from vacations in the Maldives and other countries,” Alexey Volkov, president of the National Union of Hospitality Industry, told TASS.
The UAE and its airports have become a main hub for access to Russia since the Ukraine conflict and the closure of EU airspace for civilian air traffic under sanctions against Moscow.
“The situation remains complex and unpredictable: drone and missile strikes have hit key tourist locations in the UAE, including its most famous hotels.
“And then there are those who aren't counted as tourists at all, but are travelling around the world for business—the Middle East, for example, is currently a major business hub, home to a significant amount of Russian capital, investment, and business,” Volkov said.