Ayatollah Khamenei plans to flee to Moscow if protests in Iran are not suppressed – The Times

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has developed an escape plan to flee to Russia if his forces fail to suppress the protests sweeping the country or begin to defect.

Source: The Times, citing sources

Details: The Times reported that the 86-year-old Khamenei was planning to flee Tehran with his closest circle of 20 aides and family members if he saw that the army and security forces deployed to suppress the unrest began to defect, side with opponents, or refuse to carry out orders.

According to an intelligence source cited by The Times, Plan B is intended for Khamenei and his inner circle, including his son and designated heir, Mojtaba.

Beni Sabti, who fled the Iranian regime decades ago and later worked in Israeli intelligence, believes that Khamenei would flee to Moscow because there is nowhere else for him to go.

He explained this by noting that Khamenei also admires Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and Iranian culture is closer to Russian culture.

The Times notes that the escape plan is reportedly based on the example of the flight of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

A source told the newspaper that Khamenei has planned a route out of Tehran in case the need to flee arises and that preparations include assembling assets, overseas property and cash to ensure safe passage.

Khamenei is known to control a vast network of assets which, according to a 2013 Reuters investigation, were valued at around US$95 billion.

Background:

• Over the past week, economic hardship in Iran has triggered nationwide protests, spreading to cities across the country.
• Reports indicate that at least six people have been killed and several dozen injured during the unrest.

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