Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has reportedly gone into hiding in a fortified bunker in Tehran due to fears of impending US airstrikes. This development comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which includes three destroyers, approaches the Persian Gulf. According to a report from Iran International, Khamenei’s decision to retreat follows warnings from senior military officials about the heightened risk of a US attack.
The 86-year-old leader has delegated day-to-day management of the Islamic Republic to his youngest son, Masoud Khamenei, who is now the primary communication channel with the regime’s executive branch. This shift in responsibility occurs amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, particularly after President Donald Trump announced on March 15, 2024, that warships were en route to the Middle East as a warning to Khamenei.
In a show of military strength, Trump described the deployment of a substantial naval “armada.” The USS Abraham Lincoln is currently navigating from the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf region, increasing the stakes in an already volatile situation.
Despite the growing tensions, Iranian officials maintain a defiant public posture. President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that any attack on Khamenei by the US or Israel would be viewed as “an all-out war against us.” Additionally, Iran’s national security parliamentary commission has stated that any attack against Khamenei would prompt a declaration of jihad, as reported by the Iranian Students News Agency.
Khamenei, known for his active presence on social media, has not posted on X since January 17, 2024. It remains unclear when he entered his current state of seclusion. This is not the first time Khamenei has sought refuge underground; he also retreated during a conflict with Israel last June, where he reportedly prepared a list of potential successors in case of his demise.
The supreme leader’s previous social media posts have been striking, threatening to pursue both internal and international “criminals” linked to widespread protests that erupted across Iran in late December 2022. These protests, ignited by a devastating economy exacerbated by the country’s worst drought in decades, have resulted in severe crackdowns. Reports indicate that regime forces have killed at least 3,000 civilians, with some estimates suggesting the death toll could be as high as 20,000.
As tensions escalate, the world watches closely, aware that the implications of Khamenei’s actions and the US military’s movements could have far-reaching consequences for the region and beyond.
