Khamenei Hiding In Bunker With Communications Cut Off Amid Assassination Threats: Report

Last Updated:June 22, 2025, 11:55 IST

Analysts say ousting Khamenei and his fellow clerical leaders risks creating a vacuum that could be filled by hardline elements in the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).

Khamenei has directed the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for appointing the next Supreme Leader, to start working on next leader. (AFP)

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly sheltering in a secure underground bunker with all electronic communications suspended to guard against potential assassination attempts, according to a report by The New York Times. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES

The heightened security measures have made direct communication with him limited and difficult, leaving Iran’s definitive response to the recent US airstrikes on its nuclear sites uncertain until Khamenei publicly addresses the situation.

Analysts say ousting Khamenei and his fellow clerical leaders risks creating a vacuum that could be filled by hardline elements in the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) ideological force or the Iranian military.

Khamenei Names Probable Successor

Facing heightened assassination threats from Israel and the United States, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly taken extraordinary steps to ensure leadership continuity during the ongoing conflict.

According to The New York Times, Khamenei has named three senior clerics as potential successors should he be killed. Notably, the officials confirmed that his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is not among the chosen candidates — contradicting earlier claims that he was being groomed for the role.

The report adds that Khamenei has also begun selecting replacements for military commanders who were recently killed in Israeli strikes, signalling both strategic foresight and urgency amid escalating tensions. Aware of the possibility of being targeted, Khamenei is said to have expressed a willingness to embrace martyrdom, should such a fate befall him.

In an unprecedented move, he has directed the Assembly of Experts—the clerical body responsible for appointing the next Supreme Leader to act swiftly and choose his successor from the names he has personally recommended. This directive comes as Iran faces one of the gravest crises in recent history, prompting concerns over leadership stability and succession planning.

Commenting on the developments, Iran expert and Johns Hopkins University professor Vali Nasr told the NYT that the regime’s top priority right now is the “preservation of the state." Typically, the selection process for a new Supreme Leader can span over a month, involving deep deliberations. But with the nation now entrenched in conflict, officials said Khamenei is pushing for a rapid and decisive transition to safeguard the Islamic Republic’s future and preserve his legacy

Abhro Banerjee

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ...Read More

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ...

Read More

Location :

First Published:

News world Khamenei Hiding In Bunker With Communications Cut Off Amid Assassination Threats: Report