Amid the riots currently taking place in Iran, several intelligence services suggest that the Ayatollah could be extradited to Moscow for his own protection. Such a move would symbolize a major political shift and further lengthen the list of authoritarian leaders in exile in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Moscow has already become a refuge for figures like Bashar al-Assad and other former rulers seeking safety after losing control at home, reinforcing its image as a shelter for embattled dictators.