Russian President Vladimir Putin has firmly rejected the idea of discussing any potential assassination of Iran&rsquo;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States or Israel, describing the notion as &ldquo;not even worth consideration.&rdquo; Speaking at a televised interaction with foreign journalists, Putin struck a defiant tone while also voicing cautious optimism for a negotiated end to the intensifying Israel-Iran conflict.
&ldquo;I do not even wish to discuss such a possibility,&rdquo; Putin said in response to speculation about the targeted killing of the Iranian leader. His remarks come amid heightened regional tensions following Israel&rsquo;s strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites, which Putin claimed had, ironically, galvanised Iranian society around its political leadership.
&ldquo;There is a clear consolidation of society around the country&rsquo;s leadership,&rdquo; the Russian president observed, adding that despite the volatility, a solution was not beyond reach. &ldquo;This is a delicate matter, but in my view, a resolution can be found that safeguards Israel&rsquo;s security and upholds Iran&rsquo;s right to a peaceful nuclear programme.&rdquo;
While Israel justifies its military action as a pre-emptive strategy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons&mdash;a charge Iran vehemently denies&mdash;Putin emphasised Russia&rsquo;s continued involvement in Tehran&rsquo;s civilian nuclear efforts.
According to the Russian leader, over 200 Russian personnel are currently stationed at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, a facility built by Russia&rsquo;s state-owned Rosatom. &ldquo;We are continuing our cooperation with Iran in the nuclear field. This includes ensuring their legitimate interests in peaceful nuclear energy,&rdquo; he stated.
Dismissing concerns over sabotage, Putin confirmed that Iran&rsquo;s underground uranium enrichment infrastructure remains operational. &ldquo;These underground facilities are still intact. Nothing has happened to them,&rdquo; he affirmed.
Putin also revealed that Moscow had held direct discussions with Israeli leaders and received assurances that Russian personnel would not be endangered. &ldquo;We agreed with Israel on the need to guarantee their security, and that remains a guiding principle,&rdquo; he added.
However, his mediation efforts have found little traction with Washington. US President Donald Trump reportedly rebuffed Putin&rsquo;s earlier offer to broker a ceasefire, saying the Russian leader should instead focus on resolving his own conflict in Ukraine.
As regional tensions continue to escalate, the presence of Russian engineers on Iranian soil and the Kremlin&rsquo;s unequivocal stance on Khamenei&rsquo;s security introduce new dimensions to the already complex geopolitical chessboard of the Middle East.

Iran's Supreme leader  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Russian engineers stay in Iran as Putin warns against threats to Ayatollah Khamenei

Putin: Won’t Discuss Khamenei Killing by West

Russian engineers stay in Iran as Putin warns against threats to Ayatollah Khamenei

June 19, 2025 | 20:03 IST