Ayatollah Khamenei will ‘flee Iran for Moscow’ if protests overwhelm security forces, says intelligence report
Iran’s supreme leader will ‘flee for Russia’ if protests overwhelm security
- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly has a "plan B" to flee to Russia with up to 20 aides and family if ongoing protests overwhelm security forces.
- This contingency plan would be activated should the army and security forces tasked with suppressing the unrest begin to defect or fail to follow orders.
- Intelligence sources suggest Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, is part of this plan, which includes securing assets and cash abroad to facilitate their safe passage.
- The protests, which have led to at least 17 deaths, are fuelled by economic collapse and broader frustrations, with some demonstrators calling for the Ayatollah's overthrow.
- Authorities have met the unrest with brutal force, despite President Masoud Pezeshkian's promises of dialogue and reforms, though the protests are not yet at the scale of the 2022-23 Mahsa Amini demonstrations.