Iran-Israel War: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hiding in underground bunker? Forensic clues reveal...

As the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel leaves middle east boiling, there have been speculations over the life of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as forensic analysis of his recent address to the nation highlights the likelihood that he is in hiding.

According to Iranian officials, Khamenei's life is in jeopardy, given Israeli officials have openly declared that he was not "off limits" after Iran suffered heavy losses in the conflict. Moreover, after reports came out suggesting Khamenei was hiding in an underground bunker, US President Donald Trump said that his administration knew his exact location but "won't take him out for now". 

"Must not be allowed to exist" 

Hours after Iranian missiles struck Soroka Hospital in Israel on Thursday, i.e., June 19, Israeli defence minister Katz issued a stark warning against Tehran's supreme leadership, saying Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "must not be allowed to exist". "The military has been instructed and knows that, in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist," Katz said. 

Khamenei in hiding?

After US President Trump’s demand for an “unconditional surrender" of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei released a video message on his Telegram channel, asserting Iran will not surrender. He added that any US strike will have "irreparable consequences". This was his second public apperance since June 13, when the hostilities began. 

According to a report by India Today, there were unusual technical deviations in the latest video compared to previous ones, suggesting that the Iranian Supreme Leader shot the video in a different environment and that he had been relocated. 

The video, featuring beige curtains and an Iranian flag, hinted at no concrete evidence of his whereabouts. However, the overall video appeared to be lower, compared to the previous one. The clip looked significantly compressed, hinting at a less sophisticated setup. 

Therefore, the lack of standard broadcast tools point towards the possibility that Khamenei is operating from a more secure place, possibly an underground bunker, said the report.