“Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has drawn up a plan to flee to Russia if his forces fail to quell protests sweeping the country or defect.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei. Photo from leader.ir website Source: The Times newspaper with reference to sources
Verbatim edition: Khamenei, 86, plans to flee Tehran with his inner circle of 20 aides and family members if he sees the army and security forces called in to quell the unrest deserting, defecting or disobeying orders.
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Details: According to the newspaper’s intelligence source, “Plan B” is intended for Khamenei and his inner circle, including his son and heir-designate Mojtab.
Beni Sabti, who worked in Israeli intelligence for decades after fleeing the Iranian regime, believes that Khamenei will flee to Moscow because “there is no other place for him.”
He explained this by the fact that Khamenei also “admires Putin, and Iranian culture is more similar to Russian.”
The Times notes that the escape plan is based on the escape of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
The publication’s source assures that Khamenei has “planned an exit route from Tehran in case they feel the need to escape” and that the preparations include “collecting assets, real estate abroad and cash to ensure their safe passage.”
Khamenei is known to own a large network of assets, the total value of which, according to a Reuters investigation in 2013, is $95 billion.
Prehistory:
- Over the past week, Iran’s economic woes have sparked nationwide protests that have engulfed cities across the country.
- It was reported that at least six people died and several dozen were injured as a result of the protests.