Putin says not even wish to discuss possibility of Khamenei’s killing

KABUL (Pajhwok): Russian President Vladimir Putin says he does not even want to discuss” the idea Israel might assassinate Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Putin explained Iran has not sought any support from Moscow regarding the current war with Israel.

He made the comments to senior news agency editors at a televised event on the conflict between Iran and Israel, NATO and the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

“If I may, I hope this will be the most correct answer to your question: ‘I do not even wish to discuss such a possibility’,” he said at a meeting with the heads of the world’s leading news agencies organised by TASS, when asked what Russia’s reaction would be if Israel were to assassinate Ayatollah.

He added, “I hear all of this, but I don’t even want to engage in a discussion about it.”

Putin said a deal to end the fighting between Israel and Iran was possible, and that Israel’s strikes on Iran had led to a “consolidation” of Iranian society around its leadership, AFP reports.

“We see that today in Iran there is a consolidation of society around the country’s political leadership,” Putin told foreign journalists.

“This is a delicate issue, and of course we need to be very careful here, but in my opinion, a solution can be found,” he added.

Putin continued Russia maintains regular contact with its Iranian partners and that such communication would continue.

The Russian president emphasised that Iran has not made any request for support from Russia concerning the ongoing war.

In another part of his remarks, Putin described a potential meeting with US President Donald Trump as “very useful.”

On Tuesday, President Trump took to Truth Social with a stark warning: “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now… Our patience is wearing thin.” Moments later, he posted a single-word demand: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader said on Wednesday that the Iranian people would stand firm against an imposed war and warned that any US military intervention would result in irreparable consequences.

kk/ma