Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly prepared a contingency plan to flee to Moscow if ongoing civil unrest spirals out of control and his security forces fail to contain protests, according to intelligence shared with The Times.
The 86-year-old leader is said to be closely monitoring the loyalty of Iran’s military and security forces. If signs emerge that these forces are defecting or refusing orders, Khamenei plans to leave Tehran along with around 20 close family members and associates.
“The ‘plan B’ is for Khamenei and his very close circle of associates and family, including his son and nominated heir apparent, Mojtaba,” an intelligence source told The Times.
ALSO READ | Saudi airstrike hits UAE-backed group in Yemen, 7 killed
Former Israeli intelligence operative Beni Sabti said Moscow is Khamenei’s only realistic destination. He noted that the Iranian leader “admires Putin, while the Iranian culture is more similar to the Russian culture”.
Exit plan amid growing unrest
The reported escape strategy is similar like the flight of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who left Damascus for Moscow in December 2024 as opposition fighters closed in on the capital.
“They have plotted an exit route out of Tehran should they feel the need to escape,” the intelligence source said, adding that the plan includes “gathering assets, properties abroad and cash to facilitate their safe passage”.
Khamenei controls a vast financial network through Setad, a powerful semi-state charitable foundation. A 2013 Reuters investigation estimated these assets at around $95 billion (£70.6 billion), spread across properties and businesses under the Supreme Leader’s authority.
ALSO READ | Saudi Arabia relaxes liqueur law, faces backlash over bizarre condition
Iran has witnessed widespread protests over the past week, driven by economic hardship. Demonstrations have erupted across major cities, including the holy city of Qom. Protesters have accused anti-riot forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basij militia, police and army of using live ammunition, tear gas and water cannons. These forces report directly to Khamenei.
A Western intelligence agency’s psychological assessment, reviewed by The Times, described Khamenei as “paranoid” and said he has grown “weaker, both mentally and physically” following last year’s 12-day conflict with Israel.
About Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The Supreme Leader has remained largely out of public view during the current unrest and has not addressed the nation. During the Israel conflict, he reportedly stayed in a bunker, reinforcing what the assessment called his “obsession with survival”.
Born in Mashhad in 1939, Khamenei survived an assassination attempt in 1981 that left one hand permanently disabled. The assessment said this incident strengthened his belief in a “divine mission” to lead Iran against Israel and the West while preserving the regime at all costs.
As Iran’s regional proxy forces have weakened, public anger has increasingly turned inward, with protesters chanting: “No to Gaza, no to Lebanon, I’d give my life for Iran only.”
