The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , has reportedly prepared an "escape plan" to Russia in case nationwide protests in Iran continue to escalate.
The news was reported on Sunday by the British newspaper The Times, citing intelligence sources.
According to the report, the so-called "Plan B" would involve the removal of the 86-year-old Khamenei along with about 20 people from his inner circle, including family members and close associates.
The plan also envisions ways to transfer his vast network of financial assets, which – according to a 2013 Reuters investigation cited by The Times – is estimated to be worth around $95 billion. This network includes the Setad organization, one of the most powerful economic entities in Iran, as well as a system of quasi-state charitable foundations known for their lack of financial transparency.
"Plan B is for Khamenei and his very close circle, including his son and proposed heir, Mojtaba," The Times wrote, citing intelligence sources.
According to former Israeli intelligence official Bani Sabti, Khamenei would choose Russia as a destination for escape because “there is no other place for him.” The report adds that Khamenei has previously expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and stated that Iranian culture is closer to Russian.
According to The Times, Khamenei's plan resembles that used by former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Moscow after the fall of his regime in November 2024.
Assad currently lives in Russia, where, according to The Guardian, he is refreshing his knowledge of ophthalmology. A friend of the Assad family told the British newspaper that the former dictator is studying Russian and returning to his former profession, hinting that his target clientele would be Moscow's wealthy elite.
Meanwhile, as protests continue to spread in Iran, the US administration is continuing its "maximum pressure" campaign against the Islamic Republic.
On Sunday, the US State Department's Persian-language account posted a photo of President Donald Trump with the message: "President Trump is a man of action. If you didn't know, now you do." The same message was posted earlier on the State Department's main account, accompanied by a photo of Trump alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump also told reporters, during a flight on Air Force One, that "if they kill people, as they have done in the past, they will be hit hard by the United States."