Additional Coverage:
- Iran’s Khamenei picks potential successors while hiding in bunker amid assassination concerns (themirror.com)
Amid escalating tensions and fears of assassination, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly chosen three potential successors, according to officials cited by the New York Times. The identities of these individuals remain undisclosed, and notably, Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, is not among them.
This development follows President Trump’s announcement of US intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict, with targeted strikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites: Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed the attacks, while President Trump claimed the sites were “completely and fully obliterated.”
These actions come on the heels of accusations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran attempted to assassinate Donald Trump twice. In response, Trump stated he was aware of Khamenei’s location but currently had no plans for assassination.
From an undisclosed, secure location, likely a bunker, Ayatollah Khamenei responded defiantly to calls for surrender in a video address broadcast on Iranian state television. Flanked by the Iranian flag and a portrait of his predecessor, Ayatollah Khomeini, Khamenei warned against threatening the Iranian people, stating they would never surrender.
He further cautioned that any US military involvement would result in severe and irreparable damage to American interests. A state television anchor introduced Khamenei’s statement prior to the broadcast.