The article discusses a report from a Russian journal that claims Russian intelligence had forewarned Iran about the U.S. decision to eliminate Ali Khamenei, the highest leader of Iran, who died during the initial attacks orchestrated by the U.S. and Israel. The publication emphasizes that there is a prevailing belief in Moscow that Khamenei's presence in Tehran during the attack was not coincidental, suggesting potential complicity or disregard for the warnings provided by Russian officials.

Political scientist I. Pellicciari, who has been chosen to disseminate the Kremlin's narrative, asserts that Khamenei made a conscious choice not to hide, despite warnings that the Americans had already made a decision to attack by December 2025. The article also suggests that a leak of this information led the U.S. to postpone their operation, which was initially planned for mid-January. This raises questions about the accuracy of intelligence and the dynamics between Iran and Russia amidst escalating tensions with the U.S.

Pellicciari argues that Khamenei intentionally transformed his precarious position into a matter of political and religious martyrdom, which, contrary to U.S. expectations, ultimately unified Iran around its regime. The death of Khamenei, therefore, is framed as an event that inadvertently fortified the Iranian revolutionary guard, rallying support for the government rather than destabilizing it as the U.S. had hoped.