Israel and the U.S. have recently expressed concerns that attacking Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may “open Pandora’s box” and escalate tensions in the region. On Friday, however, Russia issued a strong rebuttal by warning against any attempt at killing Ayatollah Khamenei as any such act could open “Pandora’s box”, leading to greater conflict escalation.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Sky News that such actions were “unimaginable and unacceptable,” and warned that Russia would retaliate swiftly if any plot involving Israel or U.S. support materialized. Peskov also pointed out that such plans are “very unlikely”, suggesting Russia may respond very negatively if there were such attempts against their interests. Veroffentlichung Sources for more on this story: theguardian.com +9, WSJ +9, Turkiyetoday +9 and Turkiyetoday +9.
He cautioned that even discussing an assassination goes too far, warning it could inflame radical movements inside Iran and initiate new waves of violence throughout the region (turkiyetoday.com/+1 and news.sky.com/+1 respectively).
Kremlin Widening the Conflict Peskov made clear that killing Khamenei risks not only Iran’s internal stability, but global security: “The situation is extremely tense and dangerous–not just locally but globally,” according to Peskov (reuters.com/+15 reuters +15 the Guardian + 15 TurkiyeToday com).
The Kremlin has indicated that any attack against Iran’s Supreme Leader would require a response “from within Iran,” though he didn’t specify exactly how Russia may retaliate, either aljazeera.com/, news.sky.com, or reuters.com for that matter.
These comments came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested Khamenei “can no longer exist”, prompting Moscow to issue strong condemnations in response (reuters.com/plus15, theguardian.com/plus15 and turkeyyetoday.com cited).
President Vladimir Putin also indirectly addressed this topic during a press briefing in St. Petersburg, declining to comment on rumor of an assassination plot and saying, “I do not even wish to discuss this possibility”. For more on this story please go here and here (also aljazeera and indiatimes.com have news items about it).
Putin called for de-escalation, noting that Iranian people are rallying behind their leadership and encouraging all parties involved to find peaceful paths forward (reuters.com/+11).
Russian officials have long championed Iran’s right to civilian nuclear energy and offered mediation; however, Trump declined these offers, instead considering sending US forces into the region instead. Time.com.
Global Alarm Over Escalation
The Kremlin has expressed alarm that Israel and the U.S. could escalate tensions to war if their threats materialize; Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov cautioned that U.S. intervention could destabilize Middle Eastern stability and spark nuclear catastrophe, according to Time and Reuters respectively (wsj.com | time | reuters).
Peskov’s warning was echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova when she stated that we now stand within millimeters of nuclear disaster – reflecting Moscow’s deep diplomatic concern at time.com.
Politics on the Brink of Deepening Conflict
Politics have grown more hawkish between Washington and Tel Aviv over recent months. Israeli officials have targeted specific Iranian officials while President Donald Trump demands Iran surrender unilaterally and holds back from taking any drastic actions at this point (wsj.com + 1 for Timezone differences).
U.S. intelligence officials reportedly know where Khamenei is hiding but have refrained from taking action–at least temporarily (sources include indiatimes.com, wsj.com and reuters).
What This Means
With Israeli airstrikes already striking hard against Iran’s nuclear and military assets–and Iran retaliating by firing missiles–the Kremlin’s warning indicates high-stakes deterrence. Attacking Khamenei could unleash unchecked regional war, push Iran toward extremism, and draw Russia deeper into crisis resolution or confrontation.
Russia calls for diplomacy even as military options emerge elsewhere, drawing increasing global scrutiny to Geneva talks, U.S. deliberations sessions and Israel-Iran exchanges.
The Kremlin cautions that assassinating leaders of nuclear-capable states would have devastating repercussions. Their message from Moscow is clear: assassination is no solution but instead an actionable trigger.