Overview
- An unverified intelligence report shared with The Times says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has a contingency to leave Tehran if his forces cannot contain the unrest.
- The plan reportedly involves departing with up to about 20 close aides and relatives, potentially including his son and presumed heir, Mojtaba.
- The trigger would be desertion or refusal of orders by the IRGC, Basij, police or army, according to the assessment cited in the reporting.
- A former Israeli intelligence officer told The Times Moscow is the likely refuge, and the plan is described as modeled on Bashar al-Assad’s 2024 flight to Russia.
- Sources say preparations include cash, properties and exit routes abroad tied to long-reported Setad-linked wealth, as protests over economic hardship spread and Khamenei keeps a low public profile.