Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly relocated to a fortified underground bunker in Tehran following assessments by senior military and security officials of a heightened risk of a potential US military strike, according to a report by Iran International citing sources close to the government.
The underground facility is described as a highly secure complex with interconnected tunnels, designed to provide maximum protection during wartime or emergency situations.
According to the report, Masoud Khamenei, the supreme leader’s third son, has assumed day-to-day administrative control of his father’s office and is currently acting as the primary channel of communication with Iran’s executive institutions.
US Deploys Naval ‘Armada’ as Tensions Escalate
The development comes amid a sharp escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington, following remarks by US President Donald Trump, who said an American naval “armada” is moving toward the Middle East.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said US warships were being positioned closer to the region “just in case” he decides to take action against Iran.
A US Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with several guided-missile destroyers, is currently operating in the Indian Ocean and is expected to reach the Middle East in the coming days.
In addition, the United States is reportedly deploying extra air defence systems to protect US and Israeli military installations. The United Kingdom has also announced it will send RAF Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Qatar at Doha’s request.
Iran Issues Strong Warning to the US
Iran has responded with sharp rhetoric. Revolutionary Guard commander General Mohammad Pakpour warned that Iranian forces were “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger,” to carry out the supreme leader’s orders.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that any attack would be considered “an all-out war”, adding that Iran would respond “in the hardest way possible.”
Backdrop of Nationwide Protests in Iran
The military standoff follows weeks of widespread unrest inside Iran, driven by economic hardship and a steep fall in the national currency, the rial.
Protests that began in late December spread across the country, prompting a major security crackdown and what activists described as the longest and most extensive internet shutdown in Iran’s history.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that at least 5,002 people were killed during the crackdown, including demonstrators, children, and civilians. HRANA also said more than 26,500 people were arrested. Iranian authorities have not confirmed these figures.
Addressing an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said thousands, including children, had been killed and urged Iran to end what he described as “brutal repression.” He also raised concerns about forced confessions, summary trials, and the use of the death penalty.
Iran Thanks India at UN
Amid the standoff, Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, publicly thanked New Delhi for opposing a recent resolution at the UN Human Rights Council that sought increased scrutiny of Iran’s human rights record.
He described India’s position as “principled and firm,” particularly at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States.
