The Kremlin on Wednesday condemned what it called "the murder" of Iran's leaders in US-Israeli airstrikes, a day after Iran's semi-official Fars news agency confirmed that Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had been killed in Tehran.
"We unequivocally condemn any actions aimed at harming the health of, or indeed murdering or eliminating, members of the leadership of sovereign and independent Iran, as well as those of other countries. We condemn such actions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Russia's reaction to Larijani's death.
Larijani is the most prominent figure of the country killed since Israel and the United States launched their attacks on Iran on February 28, killing Khamenei and igniting a war across the Middle East.
"Iran's response to the assassination of the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council will be decisive and regrettable," Iranian army chief Amir Hatami said in a statement.