Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei reportedly hiding in underground bunker as evidence of US strike increases

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has moved to an underground bunker in Tehran due to increased signs of a U.S. military strike on the country, Iran International reported. 

The opposition-affiliated Iran International reported that following assessments by senior military and security officials of the Islamic Republic regarding the likelihood of an imminent U.S. strike, Khamenei has relocated to a special underground shelter consisting of interconnected tunnels in Tehran. 

The elder Khamenei has passed on several responsibilities to his sons, according to the report. Masoud Khamenei, his third son, is now responsible for daily office tasks, and Mojtaba Khamenei, another son, maintains contact with government officials. 

The report comes as speculations about a U.S. strike on the Islamic Republic have intensified in recent days, as American forces have increased in the area. On Friday, returning from the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, President Donald Trump said the U.S. has “a lot of ships going in that direction.” 

"You know, we have a lot of ships going in that direction, just in case," he said.

"We have a big flotilla heading in that direction, and we'll see what happens."

Trump added that Washington is monitoring Tehran closely.#Iran pic.twitter.com/cLwvj6uGfD

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) January 23, 2026

The military-affiliated Star & Stripes newspaper reported on a buildup of naval and air units in the Middle East, which it compared to the buildup of U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea before strikes on Venezuela late last year. It claimed that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with other warships, were in the Indian Ocean heading towards the Persian Gulf. 

In a similar vein, Brandon J. Weichert, a senior national security editor at The National Interest, last week argued in a blog post, that Trump has like already made a decision, which could occur once sufficient forces are present and ready. 

“When the fleet assembles piece-by-piece, when the destroyers arrive before the carriers, and when escalation is measured rather than theatrical, it means the decision has been made,” Weichert wrote. 

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper arrived in Israel on Saturday for meetings with top Israeli security officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. Reports in Hebrew media claim that Cooper informed Zamir that Trump has not yet made a decision regarding a strike, but communicated the U.S.’s commitment to Israeli security. 

While Trump has spoken several times about the possibility of intervention in Iran, warning officials of the Islamic Republic to refrain from violent suppression of the protests, he has not intervened since the U.S. bombing of the nuclear sites in June of last year. 

Last Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that a strike aimed at eliminating Khamenei would be a declaration of “all-out war” on the Iranian nation. 

However, following the report in Iran International, the country’s Consul General to India contradicted the report, telling reporters in India that the Supreme Leader is “not hiding in a bunker or shelter.” 

“We are not afraid of any foreign powers. Some people are spreading rumours,” Reza Moseyed Motlagh told Indian NDTV. He did, however, acknowledge that the leader is under tighter security due to the threats. 

Khamenei hid in an underground shelter in Lavizan during the 12-day Israel-Iran War to stay safe from possible assassination strikes. 

Meanwhile, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, said Sunday that the IRGC is “more ready than ever” to confront threats. 

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guards and dear Iran stand more ready than ever, finger on the trigger, to execute the orders and directives of the Commander-in-Chief,” Pakpour was quoted as saying by Nournews, an outlet affiliated with the Supreme National Security Council. 

At the same time, two European airlines, KLM and Air France, have canceled flights to Israel, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia, amid the risk of renewed conflict with Iran. 

Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi recently claimed that, “Mousavi [referring to Iranian Army commander Abdolrahim Mousavi] and the IRGC commanders have hidden in holes out of fear of the people.” He claimed that the regime’s leaders are afraid of the people of Iran, and said that the unrest in Iran is no longer a protest, but another “revolution.”