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Where Is Ayatollah Khamenei? Iran’s Supreme Leader Names 3 Successors Amid Assassination Fear

June 22, 2025, 7:00 pm

As the Middle East tensions rise, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has allegedly taken refuge in an underground safe bunker and identified three top clerics as possible successors, according to The New York Times. The extreme action comes in light of rising fears of being assassinated and increasing military action against Israel and America.

This emergence marks a significant change in the leadership equation in Iran as the country deals with one of its most precarious wartime challenges in decades, a two-front war with Israel and now, US air raids.

As per the report, Ayatollah Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, has also been ruled out as a probable successor despite being long regarded as a strong contender because of his clerical lineage and close association with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Another former president, Ebrahim Raisi, perished in a helicopter accident in 2024.

Leadership Under Lockdown

As questions arose about where Khamenei was after the recent US missile strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, President Donald Trump has called on Iran to ‘end the war’ at once. According to reports, the White-haired 86-year-old supreme leader, who is used to living in isolation, has severed all electronic communications and is issuing orders only through a loyal aide.

Three Iranian officials told The New York Times that this was part of an emergency wartime procedure meant to evade Israeli and United States detection, both of which have been accused of plotting an assassination attempt.

In an audio recording the publication received, Mahdi Mohammadi, adviser to parliament speaker Gen. Mohammad Ghalibaf, confessed to a grave intelligence failure:

“We obviously had a tremendous intelligence and security breach; there is no doubt about this. Our top commanders were all killed within an hour’s time.”

Heavy Casualties in Iran

Ten days into the Iran-Israel conflict, more than 865 Iranians have been killed and 3,396 wounded, a human rights group quoted by the Associated Press said. Israeli and US attacks have reached deep into the heart of Tehran, targeting vital infrastructure such as nuclear experts, military installations, and energy installations.

The crisis escalated when the US became involved in the war, conducting airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities; Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan by employing B-2 bombers, Bunker Busters, and Tomahawk missiles.

In a televised message, President Trump justified, “Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror.”

Preparing for Succession

Given the heightened threat to his life, Ayatollah Khamenei has reportedly directed the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for choosing the next Supreme Leader-to-be ready to appoint a successor swiftly from the three individuals he has selected. Normally, this process would take months, but Khamenei’s directive aims to ensure a ‘quick, orderly transition’ in case of his death, the NYT report added.

Khamenei Names Secret Successors As Assassination Fears Mount In Iran-Israel Conflict

June 22, 2025, 3:30 am

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has taken measures to ensure that there will be continuity of leadership in case of an assassination attempt as tensions rise between Iran and Israel, the New York Times cited Iranian officials who are not named as saying.

The 86-year-old leader has named three potential successors, the report said, as concerns over his safety mount during the ongoing conflict. Speculation around Khamenei’s successor has been circulating for years, but the urgency has grown with the rising military tension between Iran and Israel.

Iran’s constitution establishes a straightforward succession plan. When the Supreme Leader dies or becomes incapacitated, the 88-seat Assembly of Experts made up of veteran Islamic jurists and clerics is obligated to select a replacement. The Supreme Leader serves as head of state both religiously and politically and has final say over Iran’s military and policy.

Backed by the online platform Amwaj, Khamenei just ordered the Assembly to meet in an emergency if he gets murdered or incapacitated to lead. The Times also reported that Khamenei has been living in a safe bunker and abstaining from all forms of electronic communication. Instead, he is said to be communicating with the military commanders using a trusted middleman.

While the succession mechanism is institutionalized, insiders informed Amwaj that contingency measures involve a potential leadership council of clerics a model under consideration when Iran’s founding leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, passed away in 1989.

Such a council would be put in place if Khamenei were assassinated and the war continues, providing more balanced leadership in a time of national crisis. But analysts warn that if robust leadership and the ability to act quickly are preferred, Iran will again choose one successor to rule.

The location of Khamenei is still unknown, although he has released public statements and issued fresh threats against Israel in recent days.

Khamenei Rejects Surrender, Trump Says ‘Good Luck’ As US Weighs Military Action

June 18, 2025, 11:24 pm

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday strongly dismissed US President Donald Trump’s demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” calling it a “silly statement” as it reached its sixth day.

Addressing in a televised speech his first since Friday Khamenei threatened that any US military action would cause “irreparable harm.” He stated, “No wise person who knows Iran and its past addresses us with the language of threats. This nation will never submit.”

President Trump, meanwhile, escalated his rhetoric but was still not saying whether the US would join Israel in its bombing campaign against Tehran. “I may do it. I may not do it,” he said outside the White House to reporters. “Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

Trump claimed Iranian officials had expressed interest in negotiations, including a possible White House meeting. But he dismissed the possibility, saying, “It’s very late to be talking. Unconditional surrender that means I’ve had it.” When asked about Khamenei’s rejection, Trump replied, “I say, good luck.”

Trump on Tuesday teased directly targeting Khamenei and reiterated a call for complete Iranian surrender through Twitter. Iran’s UN mission responded with a biting tweet, calling Trump a “has-been warmonger grasping for relevance.

As Israeli raids escalated, traffic was said to clog roads away from Tehran. Israel said its recent strikes knocked out Iran’s national police headquarters and advised citizens to leave some parts of the capital. “We will attack symbols of government and ayatollah regime wherever they exist,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed.

The Pentagon confirmed it stands ready to obey any orders, as senior US officials continue to consider joining Israeli operations to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.

With diplomatic gestures crumbling and tensions boiling over, the specter of increased US involvement hangs over the region.

What Is Fattah-1? Iran’s ‘Israel-Striker’ Hypersonic Missile

June 18, 2025, 12:57 pm

Iran on Wednesday claimed it fired its hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles at Israel in the latest overnight wave of attacks, marking a serious escalation in the ongoing conflict. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described this as the 11th wave of Operation Honest Promise 3, asserting that Iranian forces had “gained complete control over the skies of the occupied territories.”

The missile strike came hours after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stern directive, urging Iranian forces to show “no mercy” towards Israelis.

Not the First Time: Tehran’s Hypersonic Arsenal Returns

Though this marks the first known use of the Fattah-1 in the current flare-up, it is not the missile’s first deployment. Iran had previously used dozens of Fattah-1 missiles during Operation True Promise II on October 1, 2024, targeting Jerusalem. However, Wednesday’s attack is the first confirmed use in this round of strikes.

What Are Hypersonic Missiles?

Hypersonic missiles—either glide vehicles or cruise variants, are known for their ability to maneuver at ultra-high speeds within Earth’s atmosphere, making them extremely difficult to track or intercept. These weapons travel at speeds of Mach 5 or more (over 6,100 km/h). A CNN report notes that many ballistic missiles also reach hypersonic speed, particularly during their descent.

All About Fattah-1: Iran’s Hypersonic Game-Changer

Unveiled in 2023 and named by Ayatollah Khamenei, Fattah-1 is Iran’s first known hypersonic missile. Reports claim it is designed to bypass advanced missile defence systems such as Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow. The IRGC has referred to it as the “Israel-striker.”

The missile measures 12 meters in length and has a range of up to 1,400 kilometers. Powered by solid fuel and a single-stage propulsion system, it can carry up to 200 kilograms of explosives. According to Iran Watch, Fattah-1 includes a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) warhead capable of traveling at speeds up to 17,900 km/h.

Fabian Hinz from the International Institute for Strategic Studies told CNN that the missile warhead sits on a “maneuverable reentry vehicle,” which allows it to briefly shift direction during descent, making interception more difficult.

Israel-Iran Tensions Surge

The recent missile exchange follows Israel’s large-scale air assault last Friday targeting Iranian nuclear and military installations. Since then, both nations have suffered devastating strikes in residential areas, leading to multiple casualties and forcing several foreign governments to evacuate their nationals.

Israel claims it has killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani and his predecessor, Gholam Ali Rashid, in retaliatory strikes.

Despite growing international concern, both sides appear committed to the intensifying conflict, with no clear sign of de-escalation in sight.