The Kremlin wasted no time blaming the West after a helicopter crash killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister over the weekend.

A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin insidiously told the Sarajevo Times that the United States and Israel were likely behind the downing of Raisi’s Bell 212 helicopter, insinuating foul play due to the aircraft’s American origins.

Even though Iranian state media reported that the crash was caused by inclement weather in the nation’s mountainous northwest, this did not stop Russia from attempting to solidify the deepening anti-West axis taking shape between Moscow and the Islamic Republic.

Unmistakable signs of the burgeoning Russia-Iran alliance have emerged in recent years, stoking global concerns. Moscow supplied Iran with $1 billion worth of arms in 2023, including satellite intelligence, aircraft repair services, and hardware potentially suited for offensive operations. The two militaries have also engaged in joint maritime exercises while collaborating to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s genocidal regime.

There are also credible allegations that Russia provided Iran with materials for its illicit nuclear program, which the Islamic Republic is rapidly advancing.

Putin on Monday paid tribute to the late Iranian President, a man who oversaw countless human rights abuses and the suppression of his own people. Considered a ruthless dictator in his own right, he had the audacity to call Raisi an “extraordinary politician” and a “true friend” of Moscow.