Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has named three senior clerics as potential successors in the event of his assassination, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Out of concern for a possible assassination attempt, Khamenei has reportedly suspended electronic communications to hinder attempts to track him and now communicates with his commanders primarily through a trusted aide.
The supreme leader, who is being protected in a bunker, has also selected multiple potential replacements across his military command hierarchy in case additional key deputies are killed. According to the Iranian officials familiar with Tehran's emergency contingency plans, this reflects the precarious moment facing Khamenei and his three-decade rule.
