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Sunday, February 22, 2026
Report: Khamenei planning for assassination scenario, appoints Larijani to key role
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has instructed senior associates on how to act if he is killed in potential US or Israeli strikes, The New York Times reports, outlining contingency plans that include layered succession orders and emergency chains of command.
According to the report, at the height of nationwide protests last month and amid rising US threats of military action, Khamenei elevated longtime loyalist Ali Larijani — a former Revolutionary Guards commander and veteran politician — to a central governing role, effectively placing him at the helm of state affairs.
Citing interviews with senior Iranian officials, members of the Revolutionary Guards and former diplomats, The New York Times reports that Larijani has since overseen the crackdown on protests, managed sensitive nuclear diplomacy with Washington, and coordinated with allies including Russia, Qatar and Oman.
He is also said to be leading wartime planning as Iran braces for possible US strikes.
Khamenei has reportedly named multiple layers of successors for key military and political posts and delegated decision-making authority to a tight inner circle should communications be severed or he be assassinated.
While Larijani is not considered a likely successor to the supreme leader — as he is not a senior Shiite cleric — he is described as one of Khamenei’s most trusted crisis managers.
Iran has placed its armed forces on high alert, positioned missile systems near Iraq and along the Persian Gulf, and conducted military drills in preparation for potential conflict, the news outlet reports. Publicly, Khamenei has struck a defiant tone, warning that any attack would be met with a powerful response.
The Times of Israel Community.