Kathmandu: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not appeared publicly since last week, fueling widespread concern, speculation, and uncertainty across the country. The 86-year-old leader’s silence and absence come at a critical time, as the United States has attacked three major Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—and Israel has launched repeated missile strikes across Iran.
Iranian media have not broadcast any images or messages from Khamenei in recent days. According to intelligence sources, he has been moved to a secret underground shelter and is being kept away from all electronic communications to protect him from potential assassination attempts.
A report by The New York Times indicates that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not ruled out the possibility of Khamenei’s assassination, although former US President Donald Trump reportedly advised against killing the Supreme Leader.
Iran’s top government officials have reportedly lost direct contact with Khamenei. On Tuesday, a presenter on Iran’s state television asked senior official Mehdi Fazeli about Khamenei’s condition. Fazeli dodged the question, saying, “We all must pray. Those responsible for the Supreme Leader’s security are doing their job.”
Meanwhile, Iranian newspapers have begun expressing their worries. Mohsen Khalifeh, editor of the Khaneman newspaper, said, “His prolonged absence has deeply concerned us all. If Khamenei had died, his funeral would have been the most grand and historic event.”
According to Reuters, the top religious council in Iran—formed two years ago by Khamenei to select his successor—has accelerated its meetings. Intelligence sources report that Khamenei and his family remain under heavy security provided by the Revolutionary Guards’ elite Wali-e-Amr unit.
