Intelligence sources cited in recent reporting indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has developed a contingency plan to flee the country if nationwide protests spiral beyond the control of security forces.
According to those sources, the plan would involve Khamenei, 86, fleeing to Moscow with a small group of close aides and family members, numbering around 20. That group could include his son and widely-viewed successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.
The plan, described as a “Plan B,” is based on assessments that Khamenei would seek refuge in Russia if key elements of Iran’s military and security apparatus began to defect or refuse orders.
Russia seen as fallback option
The Times of Britain reported that the plan hinges on Russia’s role as a longtime strategic partner of Tehran and a proven destination for embattled allies.
The outlet drew parallels to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s flight to Moscow in late 2024, when his government neared collapse during the Syrian conflict. (RELATED: Israel Warns Syria Of Iranian Assassination Plot After Claims Of Gunfire In Presidential Palace)
Protests enter 10th day
The reports come as protests across Iran entered their tenth day, spreading to most of the country’s provinces.
The unrest was sparked by economic grievances and intensified after a sit-in at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, a symbolic center of commerce. Since then, demonstrations have spread, with protesters chanting slogans including “Death to Khamenei,” according to a Tuesday New York Post report:
Video footage circulating online and shared by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) shows intense clashes between protesters and security forces in cities including Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah and Tehran.
In the videos, protesters chant anti-regime slogans and confront security forces in crowded streets.
Footage included scenes of screaming and apparent gunfire, with demonstrators throwing objects and shouting, “Death to the dictator” and “Proud Arakis, support, support.”
Additional footage shared by MEK shows crowds chanting, “Death to Khamenei!” and “Shame on you, shame on you!” as anger appears to spread across the country, with a particular focus on bazaar-led protests in Tehran.
Iran-based rights groups monitoring the unrest report that at least 35 people, including four children, have been killed nationwide. Those figures have not been independently verified.
Some reports describe parts of the country as effectively at a standstill, with ongoing street protests and intermittent clashes with security forces. (RELATED: Trump Promises Action If Iran Starts Killing Protesters)
No official confirmation
There is no official confirmation from Iranian or Russian authorities that Khamenei has activated or intends to activate any evacuation plan. The information cited in foreign reporting is based on intelligence assessments and reported leaks that cannot be independently verified.
Tehran’s public posture remains defiant. Khamenei has repeatedly denounced the protests as foreign-influenced and vowed that the Islamic Republic “will not yield” to internal or external pressure. He has also urged security forces to put what he calls “rioters” in their place and has given no public indication that he plans to leave Iran.
Earlier contingency talks reported
Past reporting in 2025 indicated that senior aides close to Khamenei held discussions with Russian officials about potential evacuation routes if the regime’s position deteriorated significantly. Those discussions were described at the time as contingency planning, not evidence of an imminent departure.
For now, Khamenei remains in Iran and continues to project confidence publicly.
READ NEXT: Congressman Dies Suddenly At 65
