Ali Khamenei, Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, continued Tehran's quiet outreach justified on shared enmity with the Russians toward Washington and on economic opportunism. Some Iranians raised questions about inherent ideological compromise, but regime officials tried to explain this away. In 2012, for example, a website affiliated with the supreme leader denied any parallels between the Palestinian plight and Muslim minorities in Russia or China. The difference, it said, was that Israel was alone in having "confiscated" Palestinian lands.[10] Other outlets acknowledged the problem but assured critics that Tehran continued to provide "emotional support" for the Chechens.[11]
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