The recent death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is not expected to disrupt Vladimir Putin's standing, according to Sam Greene, a professor at King's College who specializes in Russian studies. Greene asserts that there is no evidence suggesting that Putin will suffer politically from the loss of allies. Moreover, he emphasizes that Putin's authority, both domestically and internationally, is unlikely to be directly affected by this event. Greene's analysis indicates a strong resilience in Putin's leadership, regardless of the geopolitical shifts surrounding Iran.

Greene also finds it unlikely that the events in Iran would provoke Putin into escalating his efforts in Ukraine. He argues that the Kremlin has historically disregarded international opinion throughout its military actions, and there is no indication that this attitude will change. The statement that Putin would be motivated to take extreme actions, such as eliminating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is deemed far-fetched; Greene believes that if such a course of action were feasible, it would have already been executed.

Further commenting on Iran's geopolitical stance post-Khamenei, Greene suggests that the new Iranian leadership is not expected to adopt an anti-Russian sentiment. Instead, he predicts that Iran will likely maintain its current geopolitical position, suggesting continuity in its relationship with Russia despite the potential change in leadership. This perspective illustrates that while the political landscape might shift, the broader alliances within this region are anticipated to remain stable for now.