Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been sheltering in a bunker since the onset of Israeli strikes and has secretly designated three possible successors in the event he is killed, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing Iranian officials.
According to the report, Khamenei, 86, has also appointed replacements for the top military chain of command, fearing that more senior leaders could be targeted by Israel following the deaths of several high-ranking officials earlier in the opening blows of the campaign. The three Iranian sources, who requested anonymity, said Khamenei now communicates with commanders exclusively through an aide and has ceased using all digital communication to avoid detection.
The decision to identify three clerical successors underscores the heightened threat to Khamenei’s leadership amid the ongoing war. Iranian officials say the supreme leader has taken extraordinary measures to preserve the stability of the Islamic Republic since the conflict began. While the military’s command structure remains functional, officials admit it has been significantly damaged. For now, they say, there is no sign of internal revolt within the regime.
Khamenei reportedly accepts the possibility of assassination by Israel or the United States and believes that if killed, he would die a martyr.
In a rare move, he has instructed the Assembly of Experts—the body tasked with selecting the next supreme leader—to swiftly choose his successor from the three names he has provided, aiming to ensure a smooth and rapid transition of power.
Under normal conditions, the process of choosing a new supreme leader can take months, with clerics deliberating over a list of potential candidates. But amid the current war, Khamenei has prioritized continuity to protect his legacy and regime stability, the officials said.
Previously, Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba—himself a cleric with close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—had been considered a potential successor.
However, The New York Times reports he is not among the names submitted by Khamenei. Another former contender, President Ebrahim Raisi, died in a helicopter crash last year.
Since the start of the war, Khamenei has issued two recorded messages to the Iranian public, vowing the regime would not surrender. Normally operating from a secure compound in Tehran, Khamenei’s decision to take shelter in a bunker highlights the intensity of Israeli airstrikes and the fear within Iran’s leadership.
The report also says that Iran’s intelligence ministry has ordered senior government officials and military commanders to remain underground and to stop using cellphones or any electronic communication devices, amid fears of Israeli infiltration or targeted assassinations.
Two Iranian sources said the security directive reflects deep concerns over the possibility of further attacks on Iran’s leadership.
