Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave his associates instructions on how to act in the event that he is eliminated by US and Israeli strikes.
According to a report today (Sunday) in the New York Times, Khamenei appointed his close associate, Ali Larijani, as acting head of state - pushing aside President Massoud Pazakhian.
According to the report, quoted on Channel 12, Khamenei ordered Larijani and a small circle of political and military associates to ensure the survival of the Islamic Republic even in the event of military attacks by the US and Israel - and even in the event of the elimination of the senior leadership, including Khamenei himself.
As part of the preparations, the report claims, Khamenei has established four layers of succession for each of the military and government command positions he appoints, and has ordered senior officials to appoint up to four replacements for each position. He has also delegated authority to a small circle of close associates so that they can make decisions in the event that contact with him is severed or if he is killed.
According to the report, in early January, amid protests across Iran and threats of attack from the United States, Khamenei turned to Larijani to run the country. Since then, the report claims, Larijani, 67, a veteran politician and former senior commander in the Revolutionary Guards, who currently serves as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has been the one who actually leads the decision-making.
The New York Times reported that, according to a number of sources, including senior figures in the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian political establishment, Larijani was responsible for the deadly suppression of the protests and is now working to curb domestic opposition, coordinate with allies like Russia and regional players like Qatar and Oman, and manage the nuclear talks with Washington, over the head of Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
At the same time, he is preparing plans for managing the country during a war with the United States.
According to the report in the New York Times, Tehran is operating on the assumption that an American attack is inevitable and imminent, even if diplomatic talks regarding a nuclear agreement continue at the same time.
Larijani has greatly increased his public presence in the past month, traveling to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting with leaders in the Middle East, and appearing in lengthy television interviews.
At the same time, President Pazakhian's visibility declined, and he even admitted at a government meeting that he had to turn to Larijani to advance issues such as the removal of internet restrictions.
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