Tehran: Amid escalating military operations by Israel and the United States, reports indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has gone into hiding along with his family. The development comes in the wake of heavy aerial attacks carried out by Israel under “Operation Lion” and U.S. strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.
Sources within Iran suggest that Khamenei has not been seen in public since the onset of the conflict and is believed to be residing in a highly classified underground facility. Notably, only a select few officials reportedly have knowledge of his exact location. Even top commanders within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are said to be unaware of his whereabouts.
According to intelligence sources, a covert and elite security unit has been deployed to protect Khamenei around the clock. The move follows growing concerns within Iran’s leadership about a possible assassination attempt, with officials expressing suspicion that Israeli intelligence operatives may have infiltrated various levels of the Iranian government.
Khamenei usually resides in the fortified Beit Rahbari complex in Tehran, where he conducts official duties and rarely makes public appearances. However, officials now consider that location compromised. Israeli airstrikes have reportedly targeted key sites in Tehran, including areas near the Supreme Leader’s residence and the presidential office in Moniriyeh, resulting in the deaths of several senior Iranian officials and nuclear scientists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly declared on multiple occasions that Ayatollah Khamenei is a strategic target, asserting that the elimination of Iran’s Supreme Leader would mark a decisive turning point in the ongoing conflict.
The increased secrecy and security surrounding Khamenei’s location underscore the mounting pressure on Iran’s leadership as the regional conflict continues to escalate.