Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to an underground bunker in Iran after senior officials in the country’s security forces assessed that concerns are growing over a possible American strike, Iran International reported Saturday.
Khamenei's son, Masoud, has assumed governing authority.
Meanwhile, Iran Times, a newspaper identified with the IRGC, quoted the Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson as saying that Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities have become more effective, and are quantitatively and qualitatively superior compared to what they were during Operation Rising Lion in June 2025.
At the same time, levels of preparedness and tension ahead of a potential US strike remain high. On Saturday, the commander of US Central Command, Gen. Brad Cooper, arrived in Israel for meetings with senior Israeli officials.
A security source clarified that at this stage “there is no operational coordination regarding Iran," and it remains unclear how US President Donald Trump will behave. In Jerusalem, there is deep concern over a scenario in which a nuclear agreement would leave Iran with missile capabilities that pose a threat to Israel and allow Iran to continue supporting its regional proxies.