According to intelligence-linked sources quoted in international media, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is reportedly preparing to leave the country for Moscow as unrest and v!0lence increase throughout the country.

According to reports, if Iran’s military and security forces defect, disobey orders, or are unable to quell the escalating protests, the 86-year-old leader and a small group of close aides and family members may flee to Russia. The purported scheme is similar to how Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad escaped to Moscow in the face of an opposition advance in late 2024.

Severe economic hardship has sparked nationwide protests that have expanded to over 20 cities. Protesters have set fire to police cars, targeted government buildings, and chanted calls for Khamenei’s overthrow. According to reports, hundreds of people have been arrested and at least 12 people, including children, have died.

With food prices rising and inflation surpassing 40%, economic pressure continues to be a major contributing factor to the unrest. In an effort to reduce tensions, authorities have announced small cash vouchers for citizens, but detractors claim the action hasn’t done much to allay public ire.

Online footage depicts fighting between armed security personnel and protesters in Tehran and other cities, with gunfire audible in some places. Officials have called protesters “rioters” and cautioned against destabilization despite infrequent attempts to resolve economic grievances.

Sharp rhetoric has been drawn to the crisis from overseas. In the event that Iranian forces violently put down protesters, US President Donald Trump warned on social media that Washington was “locked and loaded.” In response, senior official Ali Larijani warned that foreign meddling could destabilize the Middle East, while Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that US interests and bases in the area would be regarded as “legitimate targets” if America intervened.

Iran has formally complained to the UN about the US threats, stating that it would retaliate violently in the event of an att@.ck. As calls for regime change become more widespread, analysts say that the current protests pose the biggest threat to Iran’s leadership since the protests that followed Mahsa Amini’s death in custody.