As the Israel-Iran conflict enters its second week with renewed airstrikes, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who reports say is in hiding, has named three successors as his replacement.
According to a report published by The New York Times, Khamenei has also picked replacements in his chain of military commands in case they are killed in Israeli strikes.
The report, citing three Iranian officials familiar with Khamenei’s emergency war plans, said that the Supreme Leader “mostly speaks with his commanders through a trusted aide now, suspending electronic communications to make it harder to find him”.
Khamenei takes shelter in a bunker
Ensconced in a bunker, Khamenei has picked an array of replacements down his chain of miliary command in case more of his valued lieutenants are killed, the report said.
“And in a remarkable move, the officials add, Ayatollah Khamenei has even named three senior clerics as candidates to succeed him should he be killed, as well — perhaps the most telling illustration of the precarious moment he and his three-decade rule are facing,” the NYT report added.
Israel-Iran conflict
Israel launched a series of surprise attacks on June 13 – the biggest military assault on Iran since its war with Iraq in the 1980s. On Saturday, Israel targetted an Iranian nuclear research facility near Isfahan, an AP report said.
Talks in Geneva on Friday between European foreign ministers and Iran’s top diplomat failed to produce a breakthrough. US President Donald Trump continued to weigh his country’s military involvement as concerns spiked over potential strikes on Iranian nuclear reactors.
Still, European officials expressed hope for future negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue but stressed Tehran wasn’t interested in negotiating while Israel continued attacking, the report added.
No internet access in Tehran
Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org reported on Saturday that the limited internet access that had come back up in Iran has once again “collapsed.”
The group said on X that the disconnect came after “a brief period when residents could exchange messages with the outside world.”
A nationwide internet shutdown has been in place for several days, isolating Iranians.
Iran cited concerns about Israeli cyberattacks for the shutdown of mobile and web services. But many Iranians and activists see it as another example of state information control and targeted internet shutdowns the Islamic Republic has deployed during periods of protests and unrest, news agency AP reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
