Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reportedly seeks refuge in a Tehran bunker as Israel launched strikes. Following a Mashhad strike, sources indicate Israel spared Khamenei to give him a “final chance” to dismantle Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei moved to an underground bunker in Tehran hours after Israel’s attacks commenced early Friday, Iran International reported on Sunday.
His family joined him, according to the report, mirroring past retreats observed during previous “True Promise” operations.
In a significant development, Israel then targeted Mashhad, 2,300 kilometers distant from the Jewish State, for the first time.
A diplomatic source confirmed this strike served as a stark warning to Khamenei that “he is not safe anywhere in the country.”
The source further revealed that Israel, capable of eliminating the leader, chose instead to offer a “final chance” to dismantle Iran’s uranium enrichment program, a critical demand previously ignored, including after a deadline from President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, an Israeli official told The Wall Street Journal that Khamenei is “not off limits” as Israel continues an intensified air campaign targeting the Iranian nuclear program.
The official emphasized that Israel is not restricting its objectives to nuclear sites alone, but is also aiming to weaken Iran’s political and military leadership. He stated that Israel has already eliminated nine scientists key to Tehran’s uranium enrichment efforts, alongside several senior Iranian generals.
On Sunday, Reuters reported, citing two US officials, that in recent days, Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to eliminate Khamenei.
“Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership,” a senior US administration official told Reuters.
Axios reporter Barak Ravid backed up the Reuters report, quoting a US official who said, “Since the operation commenced, the Israelis had an opportunity to kill the Supreme Leader. We communicated to the Israelis that President Trump is opposed to that. The Iranians haven’t killed an American, and discussion of killing political leaders should not be on the table.”
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi denied the report, telling Channel 12 News that the report is “fake news from the land of fake news. We did not request it, and we are not requesting it. The Americans make decisions based on their own interests.”
