Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has named potential new military commanders in case they are killed, as well as senior clerics to replace him in case he is also killed or removed, the New York Times reported tonight.
Wary of a possible assassination, Iran's supreme leader now mostly speaks to his commanders through a trusted aide and has suspended electronic communications to make him harder to trace, the American newspaper reported, citing three unnamed Iranian officials familiar with his plans for a wartime emergency.
"Huddled in a bunker, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has selected a series of replacements in his military chain of command in case more of his valuable lieutenants are killed," the New York Times adds.
And in an extraordinary move, officials said, Ayatollah Khamenei even named three senior clerics as candidates to succeed him if he were also assassinated, the American newspaper reported, adding that this was evidence of the insecurity he and his three-decade rule face.
Ayatollah Khamenei took an extraordinary series of steps to protect Iran from an Israeli attack on June 13, the newspaper reported, without giving details.
Although the Israeli attacks have only lasted a week, they are the largest military attacks on Iran since the war with Iraq in the 1980s, and Tehran is a particular target.
In just a few days, Israeli attacks have caused more damage in Tehran than former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein did in his entire eight-year war against Iran, the New York Times added.
US President Donald Trump said on June 17 that they know where Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is, but they will not kill him "for now."
"We know exactly where the so-called Supreme Leader is hiding. He is an easy target, but he is safe there, we will not eliminate him, at least not for now," Trump said at the time on the Truth social network.
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