Is Khamenei Hiding In A Bunker? Report Says Iran's Supreme Leader Went Underground Amid US Threat

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly gone into hiding in a bunker in Tehran, as the country braces for a possible US military action amid ongoing nationwide protests in Tehran and the Islamic regime's violent crackdown on protesters.

According to the opposition-affiliated Iran International news site, The Times of Israel said, citing information received by Iran International, that Khamenei moved underground after senior officials assessed an“increased risk of a potential US attack” following the deployment of significant US military forces to the region.

The bunker reportedly contains a system of“interconnected tunnels” designed to ensure the supreme leader's security.

However, Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh, Iran's top diplomat in India, told reporters that while the Supreme Leader is being provided with security, he is“not hiding in a bunker or a shelter.”

Son takes over day-to-day operations

While Khamenei remains in hiding, his third-born son, Masoud Khamenei, has reportedly assumed day-to-day operations in his father's office. According to the report, Masoud is serving as the“main channel for communication” with other government leaders.

US Navy carrier strike group moves to Middle East

The developments come as a US Navy carrier strike group moves toward the Middle East amid renewed threats by President Donald Trump to take military action against Iran's senior leadership over the violent crackdown on protesters.

Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on January 23 after returning from Davos, Switzerland, said:“We have a big flotilla going in that direction and we'll see what happens. I'd rather not see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely.”

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, accompanied by three Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers - USS Spruance, USS Michael Murphy, and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. - was reportedly en route through the Indian Ocean, with its air wing including F-35C fighter jets and destroyers capable of launching Tomahawk missiles, Bloomberg said citing two US officials who declined to specify precise locations.

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The warnings come after Trump scaled back a prior threat to strike Iran, following alleged assurances that Tehran would not carry out planned executions of protesters. Despite these assurances, human-rights groups report that the crackdown has intensified.

Nationwide protests challenge Khamenei's regime

The protests, the largest threat to Iran's ruling regime in decades, were triggered initially in Tehran by the collapse of Iran's currency and have since spread nationwide with calls for an end to Supreme Leader Khamenei's leadership.

Tehran has also warned the US and Israel - which conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year - against intervening to support the protests.

Also Read | Iran issues warning as Trump says US 'armada' headed towards region

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