Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is taking extraordinary precautions as Israeli strikes continue to batter Iran in what officials describe as the most intense assault on Tehran since the Iran-Iraq war. According to three Iranian officials familiar with his emergency plans, Khamenei is sheltering in a bunker, has suspended electronic communications to reduce the risk of detection, and now largely communicates through a trusted aide.

In preparation for the worst, Khamenei has designated successors down his military chain of command and, in an unprecedented move, named three senior clerics as candidates to replace him should he be killed. He has instructed the Assembly of Experts to move swiftly in selecting a new supreme leader from this list if necessary, aiming to ensure stability and preserve the Islamic Republic’s leadership during wartime.

Vali Nasr, an Iran expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University, told The New York Times that Khamenei’s actions reflect a calculated effort to safeguard the state. “The top priority is the preservation of the state. It is all calculative and pragmatic,” Nasr said.

The Israeli offensive, now in its second week, has caused significant destruction in Tehran, with greater impact than the eight-year conflict with Saddam Hussein. In response, Iran has regrouped and mounted daily counterstrikes on Israel, targeting a hospital, oil refinery, religious sites, and homes. They have also attacked a US airbase in Qatar.