A Russian politician said he is worried President Donald Trump's actions in Iran could endanger Russian President Vladimir Putin, who "should not travel anywhere right now".

Speaking during a Russian TV programme, Leonid Kalashnikov, State Duma [Russian Parliament] member, said they "should definitely change their constitution because of what they are doing," referring to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

He said: "They killed 30 people in positions of leadership all at once. They don't know who will be next to carry out the duties. The same thing with us, we have a Western system. If something happens to the president, the prime minister steps in, if something happens to the PM, the Federation Council takes over. Why? We should quickly change this."

He also added, "The Federation Council is basically in charge, the Politburo". "For the first time," Kalashnikov said, a head of state was eliminated".

"All the other times, like in Iraq, they formally put them on trial. For the first time a head of state can be eliminated."

He also added, "Putin should not travel anywhere right now. All of us should protect the president right now".

Putin has spoken out following the US strikes on Iran, and in a short statement posted on the Kremlin's website, Putin denounced the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as "murder … committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.

Notably, Putin did not name the countries behind the killing, but his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed "deep disappointment" that US talks with Iran had failed. The situation in Iran could certainly cause a lot of damage to one or Russia's last remaining partners and their common projects. But at the same time, there are some upsides Putin can benefit from, including higher oil prices.

*** Ensure our latest news headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***