Iran’s ruler prepares flight amid unrest, proving Israel’s deterrence works while Arab regimes enable oppression.
A Western intelligence assessment shared with The Sunday Times reveals that Iran’s supreme ruler Ali Khamenei has quietly prepared an escape plan should nationwide protests overwhelm his security forces. The report says the 86-year-old cleric would flee Tehran with a small inner circle—family members, senior aides, and his son Mojtaba—if signs of desertion or refusal to fire emerge.
According to intelligence sources, Khamenei’s “plan B” mirrors the ignominious exits of fallen autocrats. Former Israeli intelligence officer Beni Sabti predicts Moscow as the destination, citing Khamenei’s admiration for Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin’s long record of sheltering despots. The comparison to Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia ahead of regime collapse, is deliberate—and damning.
The assessment notes that Khamenei’s circle has been “plotting an exit route,” stockpiling cash and overseas assets. His financial empire—channeled through Setad—was estimated by Reuters at roughly $95 billion, while relatives of senior regime figures already reside comfortably abroad, including in the US, Canada, and Dubai. This is not revolutionary austerity; it is elite looting with a getaway car.
Protests driven by crushing inflation and sanctions are spreading, met by live fire, tear gas, and water cannons from the IRGC and Basij—forces under Khamenei’s direct command. Intelligence profiles describe him as increasingly fragile since last year’s 12-day war with Israel, reportedly hiding in a bunker—an obsession with survival unbecoming of a leader who sends others to die.
Khamenei publicly acknowledged economic grievances yet threatened “rioters,” revealing the regime’s playbook: concede words, deliver bullets. The contrast with Israel is stark. Israel confronts threats openly, defends civilians, and stands accountable to its people. Tehran’s rulers plan escape routes while preaching martyrdom.
Equally telling is the silence—or indulgence—of Arab regimes that posture about “resistance” while enabling Iranian terror proxies that destabilize the region. When tyranny cracks, these same voices offer no refuge to the oppressed—only excuses for their jailers.
Khamenei’s contingency plan is not prudence; it is confession. The myth of invincible theocracy is fading. Israel’s deterrence has exposed the truth: regimes built on terror collapse when confronted by resolve.
