The New York Times reported on the 21st local time that three知情 Iranian officials revealed that in order to avoid being assassinated, Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei has suspended the use of electronic communication and mainly maintains contact with Iranian commanders through a trusted aide.

It was reported that Khamenei is currently hiding in a bunker and has selected multiple reserve personnel within Iran's military command system to prevent more core deputies from being killed.

Informants also said that Khamenei has secretly selected three senior clerics as his successors in case of potential assassination.

The aforementioned officials stated that Khamenei realized that both the US and Israel might choose to assassinate him, and he viewed this possible outcome as martyrdom. "Khamenei instructed that once this possibility occurs, the Assembly of Experts responsible for selecting the Supreme Leader needs to quickly select a successor from the three names provided by him."

Officials explained that given that Iran is in a state of war, Khamenei "wants to ensure a quick and orderly transition and preserve his legacy."

On the 18th, Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei delivered a tough stance speech. Reuters

Previously, several anonymous American officials disclosed to the media that US President Trump vetoed Israel's plan to assassinate Khamenei. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu made no comment on this, and another Israeli official said the report was "fabricated".

Trump posted on the 17th, threatening that Khamenei is an easy target, "but he is currently safe, we will not kill him."

On the 18th, Khamenei publicly delivered a tough stance speech, stating that Iran's armed forces are ready to defend Tehran and warned the US side that any "American military intervention will undoubtedly bring them irreparable losses."

In recent days, the conflict between Iran and Israel has escalated continuously, with several senior Iranian officials being assassinated by the Israeli army, while the United States is weighing whether to intervene in the war. The New York Times reported that at this time, Iran's upper echelons are secretly preparing for various possible outcomes.

The report said that despite the high level of confidentiality in Iran's leadership, according to observations by Iranian officials and foreign diplomats stationed in Iran, "Iran's command system remains operational after suffering heavy damage, and there are no obvious signs of division within the political class."

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