Days after declaring that Iran would not “give in to the enemy” and vowing to bring its adversaries “to their knees,” the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly preparing a contingency plan to leave Iran if the unrest escalates or if security forces fail to contain the protests, according to an intelligence assessment cited by The Times.
Khamenei’s ‘Plan B’
The assessment, per the report by The Times, stated that the 86-year-old leader would depart Tehran with around 20 people, including family and close aides, if military or security services refuse his orders, defect, or lose control of the situation. Among those included in the plan is his son Mojtaba – his preferred successor.
“The ‘plan B’ is for Khamenei and his very close circle of associates and family, including his son and nominated heir apparent, Mojtaba,” The Times quoted an intelligence source as saying.
Beni Sabti, a former Israeli intelligence official who fled Iran several years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said Khamenei’s most likely destination would be Moscow. This is because not only does Khamenei “admire Putin”, but the Iranian culture is more similar to the Russian culture.
The alleged escape strategy appears to be influenced by the example of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Tehran, who fled Damascus for Moscow with his family before opposition forces captured the Syrian capital in December 2024. Khamenei’s team has already mapped out exit routes and prepared logistical support, including overseas assets and cash reserves, for his departure if things go south, The Times reported, citing a source.
Khamenei is believed to control an extensive financial network, much of it held through Setad, a powerful conglomerate linked to semi-state charitable foundations known for opaque financial structures. A Reuters investigation in 2013 estimated the value of assets under his control at approximately $95 billion, including companies and real estate holdings.
Khamenei’s health since war with Israel
The intelligence assessment also said Khamenei has grown weaker – both mentally and physically – since last year’s war with Israel that lasted for around 12 days. He has made a few public appearances since then and has remained notably absent during recent protests. During the conflict, he reportedly stayed in a bunker to avoid the fate of several senior IRGC commanders killed in Israeli strikes, The Times reported.
“On one hand, he is very ideologically motivated, but on the other, he is pragmatic in what he sees: he sees tactical compromise for a long-term greater cause. He is a long-term thinker,” the assessment, as quoted by The Times, read.
‘That ranting American…,’ Khamenei trumps Trump’s threats
In his first remarks since the protests began, spreading to more than 170 locations across 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces and turning violent, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States of making “false promises” and engaging in “deception”. At least 15 people have been killed nationwide and around 580 have been arrested, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
“That ranting American sits there talking about the Iranian nation, spewing a combination of slander and promises. False promises! Deception!” he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In a separate statement, Khamenei said, “We talk with protesters. The officials must talk with the protesters. But there’s no point in talking with a rioter. Rioters must be put in their place.”