Regime change in Iran? Fearing death, Khamenei names successors, goes into hiding as Israel pounds Tehran

As Israeli airstrikes pound Tehran and fears of US intervention rise, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has taken extraordinary steps to secure the continuity of the Islamic Republic. In what officials call the most intense assault on Iran since the 1980s war with Iraq, the 86-year-old leader has gone underground, cut off digital communications, and named potential successors — all while bracing for the possibility of his own assassination.

Under increasing threat, Khamenei has stopped using electronic devices and now communicates solely through a trusted aide to avoid detection. According to Iranian officials cited by The New York Times, the supreme leader has preemptively selected three senior clerics as possible successors and directed the Assembly of Experts to accelerate the succession process if he is killed.

This marks a historic shift in Iranian politics. Succession has long been a forbidden subject, but Khamenei has broken that silence, notably excluding his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, from the shortlist. The death of another potential successor, President Ibrahim Raisi, in a 2024 helicopter crash, has added urgency to the leadership's contingency planning.

The scale of preparation reflects the damage Iran has endured. In just days, Israeli airstrikes have caused more destruction in Tehran than the entire eight-year Iran-Iraq War, according to officials. The attacks have targeted military, nuclear, and civilian sites, pushing the regime into what it describes as a two-front battle — external bombardments and internal sabotage.

Tehran has retaliated with its own strikes, hitting Israeli hospitals, refineries, and homes. Yet Iranian leaders claim the more insidious threat is from within: Israeli operatives allegedly deploying drones from inside Iran, exposing what authorities call a "massive security and intelligence breach."

In response, Khamenei has quietly replaced key military commanders and the Ministry of Intelligence has enforced sweeping blackouts, grounded senior officials, and warned citizens to report suspicious activity — or face execution.

Officials are especially wary of the United States. Iran's leadership admits only American munitions, including the 30,000-pound bomb, could breach the fortified Fordo nuclear facility. Any US involvement, they concede, would shift the war’s scale and stakes dramatically. While threats of retaliation persist, Iranian officials fear escalation could provoke a devastating response.

As Israeli strikes continue and US President Donald Trump deliberates military options, Iran is preparing not just for war, but for a possible political succession that could define the country's next chapter.