Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly hiding in a bunker while preparing for possible assassination as Israel continues to strike his country.
The supreme leader, who has been in power for three decades, has named three potential successors, The New York Times reported.
He has also picked replacements for military commanders who could also become casualties of the war.
Citing three Iranian officials familiar with the ayatollah’s emergency war plans, the outlet reported that Mr. Khamenei, 86, would view his death at the hands of Israel or the U.S. as martyrdom.
He has instructed Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for appointing a successor, to choose swiftly from the three names he has provided.
Typically, the clerics would choose a supreme leader from their own ranks, a process that takes months, but Mr. Khamenei is reportedly seeking a quicker transition that would preserve his legacy.
The New York Times report did not name Mr. Khamenei’s three choices but said his son Mojtaba, rumored to be a front-runner, is not on the list of potential successors.
Iran’s supreme leader is not just in charge of the executive branch and commander in chief of the Iranian armed forces, but also head of the judiciary and legislature, plus is the most senior guardian of the Shiite faith.
President Trump said in a social media post this week that the U.S. knows exactly where Mr. Khamenei is hiding.
“He is an easy target, but is safe there,” Mr. Trump said. “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”
The NYT report said the ayatollah has suspended electronic communications to help protect his location and is speaking to his military commanders only through a trusted aide.
Israeli strikes have already killed several top Iranian officials.
The U.S., which has helped with intelligence sharing, is weighing whether to get directly involved in the war to help Israel decimate Iran’s nuclear program.
Only the U.S. has bunker-buster bombs that can penetrate Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment facilities.
Mr. Trump said Thursday he would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. would strike Iran, and added Friday that is the “maximum” time he will give Iran to negotiate a nuclear deal.
