Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is reportedly hiding underground as tensions with the United States continue to rise. According to sources cited by Iran International, Khamenei has relocated to a heavily fortified bunker complex in Tehran amid fears of a possible U.S. military strike.
The move signals growing panic inside the Iranian regime as Washington responds to Tehran’s escalating threats, its violent suppression of protesters, and its continued sponsorship of terror proxies across the Middle East. The underground facility is described as a hardened network of tunnels designed to protect leadership and ensure continuity of command in the event of an attack.
In a telling sign of instability, Khamenei’s third son, Masoud, has reportedly taken over day-to-day operations of the supreme leader’s office. He is now serving as the main channel between Iran’s ruling elite and government ministries, further concentrating power within the Khamenei family at a time when the regime appears increasingly brittle.
This consolidation comes as Iran faces weeks of unrest that reportedly began with merchant strikes in Tehran. More than 30,000 protesters are said to have been killed as the regime imposed internet blackouts, carried out mass arrests, and unleashed lethal force. Years of economic mismanagement, political repression, and the collapse of the rial under Khamenei’s rule have pushed the country toward open revolt.
Last Saturday, President Donald Trump publicly called for “new leadership” in Iran after Khamenei accused him of inciting unrest inside the Islamic Republic.
“It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump said, pointing to the regime’s failures as the real source of the crisis rather than foreign pressure.
The warning followed a wave of anti-American rhetoric from Tehran, with Khamenei personally accusing Trump of causing violence and declaring, “The Iranian nation defeated the U.S.” That claim rang hollow as the regime quietly moved its supreme leader into a bunker.
Washington is backing its words with action. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has been repositioned from the South China Sea to the Middle East, alongside intensified economic pressure on Iran’s ruling class.
On Thursday, President Trump reinforced the message aboard Air Force One:
“We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. It’s a big force.”
Khamenei’s decision to go underground speaks louder than his speeches. It reflects fear of American strength and exposes a regime that projects defiance abroad while hiding at home. As Tehran continues to fund terror overseas and brutalize its own citizens, its top leader is now literally beneath the surface—watching, waiting, and hoping the consequences of his policies do not reach him where he’s hiding.
