Inside Khamenei’s bunker: Succession planning amid Israel's assassination threats-Report

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly named three clerics as potential successors while hiding in a bunker in the face of assassination threats by Israel during the ongoing conflict. According to The New York Times, quoting three Iranian officials close to the development, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has started appointing successors to top generals who were assassinated in Israeli bombing raids.

Interestingly, contrary to earlier reports, the officials said Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, is not among the clerics shortlisted to succeed him – despite previous claims that he was being groomed for the role. As reported by The New York Times, 86-year-old Khamenei is cognizant of the likelihood of being targeted by Israel or the United States for assassination -- something that would be perceived by him as martyrdom, Iranian officials say.

In the light of this threat, Khamenei has gone the unusual route of instructing the Assembly of Experts – the clerical assembly responsible for choosing Iran's next supreme leader – to move quickly and pick a successor from among the three candidates he has nominated himself.

Normally, the selection of a new supreme leader takes months with extensive deliberations and several candidates. But with the nation now engaged in war, officials told NYT that Khamenei wishes to facilitate a swift and orderly transition to protect both the Islamic Republic and his legacy. “The top priority is the preservation of the state,” NYT quoted Vali Nasr, a leading Iran expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University, as saying. “It is all calculative and pragmatic,” Nasr added.

Meanwhile, amid ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, old social media post of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have surfaced drawing attention for his unexpectedly liberal and feminist tone. Some over a old post show Khamenei expressing support for women’s rights, sharing an interest in poetry, and backing the Black Lives Matter movement.

These resurfaced remarks show a surprisingly different image of Khamenei, prompting many on social media to call him progressive in his views. In several women-focused posts, he not only advocated for gender equality but also expressed thoughts on love and relationships. In a post on X (formerly known as twitter), Khamenei said, "Man has a responsibility to understand #woman's needs and feelings and must not be neglectful toward her #emotional state." Comparing the strength between both the gender, he highlighted, “Women are stronger than men. Women can completely control and influence men with their wisdom and delicacy.”