Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday extended condolences to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei over the death of senior Iranian official Ali Larijani.

In a letter, Putin said, "Please accept my deepest condolences," describing Larijani as a "wise and forward-thinking politician" and noting that he had met him on multiple occasions.

He also characterized Larijani as a "true friend" of Russia, highlighting his role in strengthening ties between Moscow and Tehran.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was killed in a strike near Tehran, in what has been described as part of a broader escalation involving US-Israeli military actions.

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) agency released Putin's message the same day, making public the Kremlin's response to the killing.