The London-based Persian-language broadcaster said the fortified facility where Khamenei is being housed is a ‘secure site connected by tunnels.’ It also reported that Masoud Khamenei, the supreme leader’s third son, has assumed day-to-day management of the Office of the Supreme Leader and is serving as the main channel of communication with the government’s executive bodies. On Friday, the opposition channel Tosi TV reported that Friday prayers Khamenei was expected to lead had been canceled. ‘In recent weeks, the Revolutionary Guards managed to extract Khamenei from his bunker for a few minutes at a time for public appearances during prayers,’ the report said.
Since US President Donald Trump threatened the Iranian regime earlier this month, tensions across the Middle East have steadily risen over the possibility that the American president could order an attack on regime targets. Trump has told Iranian protesters, who he said were being massacred by the regime, that ‘help is on the way’ and urged them to continue demonstrating. Trump’s combative statements were met with threats from Tehran, which vowed to retaliate against American assets and interests in the Middle East, as well as against Israel.
Last weekend, Trump referred to Khamenei as ‘a sick man who needs to lead his country properly and stop killing people,’ adding that ‘it is time for a change of leadership in Iran.’ In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that any attack on the supreme leader would be considered a ‘declaration of total war on the Iranian nation’ and said the Islamic Republic’s response to any military aggression would be ‘severe and regret-inducing.’ (Read More)
