Fearing assassination, Ayatollah Khamenei limits communication and activates emergency succession plans.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has taken shelter in a bunker and suspended electronic communications with top commanders amid fears of assassination during Israel’s ongoing military campaign, three Iranian officials say.
Khamenei, 86, now speaks mostly through a trusted aide and has named three senior clerics as potential successors—an unprecedented move reflecting the urgency of the crisis. He has also restructured military command, appointing replacements for key lieutenants killed in Israeli strikes.
“The top priority is the preservation of the state,” said Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins.
Israeli airstrikes, described as the heaviest since the Iran-Iraq war, have devastated Tehran and killed top commanders. Iranian officials cite a major intelligence breach that enabled coordinated assassinations within an hour.
The Ministry of Intelligence has ordered senior officials underground and imposed digital blackouts to deter infiltration. The Assembly of Experts has been urged to ensure a swift transition if Khamenei is killed.
Iran continues launching counterstrikes as tensions escalate.
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