Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly condemned the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a “cynical violation of human morality and international law.” In a message addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin expressed condolences and described the assassination as an unlawful act against a sovereign UN member state. Moscow framed the strikes as a preplanned act of aggression and accused Western powers of using Iran’s nuclear program as a pretext for regime change. As Tehran mourns, Iran has reportedly launched further missile responses across the Middle East, escalating an already volatile regional crisis. Attention has now shifted to Iran’s constitutional succession process. Under Iranian law, the Assembly of Experts is tasked with selecting the next Supreme Leader.