JERUSALEM — Russia delivered its harshest condemnation yet of Israeli targeted killings after Tehran confirmed the death of Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani in recent strikes against Iran's security establishment.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov used unusually strong language during Wednesday's briefing, describing the attack as murder and condemning actions aimed at harming Iranian leadership. The Russian official's statement represents Moscow's most direct criticism of Israeli operations targeting high-ranking Iranian officials in recent months.

"We strongly condemn actions aimed at causing harm to the health, or especially the murder and liquidation, of representatives of the leadership of sovereign Iran," Peskov told reporters. The Kremlin spokesman emphasized that such condemnation extends to attacks against officials from other countries as well.

Mideast analyst Jonathan Spyer from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security noted the timing of Russia's statement. "Moscow's public criticism signals growing frustration with Israeli operations that complicate regional stability," Spyer said. Former Israeli intelligence officer Amos Yadlin observed that Russia's language choice reflects deeper diplomatic concerns about escalating tensions between Israel and Iran affecting broader regional dynamics.