Amid Israel's Operation Rising Lion, which began on June 13, 2025, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has taken refuge in an underground bunker in the Lavisan district of northeastern Tehran, sources told Iran International. According to them, Khamenei, accompanied by family members, moved to the fortified shelter shortly after the first Israeli strikes on Iran's military and nuclear facilities. This move, as the publication notes, repeats the ayatollah's behavior during previous Israeli attacks in April and October 2024, when he also took refuge in the same bunker. At the same time, a senior Israeli official said on Channel 12 that Khamenei is in a grave mental state, and most of his closest associates, including key commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have been eliminated, making it difficult to find a replacement.

Israeli strikes aimed at neutralizing Iran’s nuclear and military threat have hit more than 300 targets, including the Natanz nuclear complex, Shahed drone depots and military bases, Reuters reports. The June 15 attack on Mashhad airport, 2300 km from Israel, was a demonstration of the IDF’s ability to strike deep into Iranian territory, underscoring Khamenei’s vulnerability even in remote areas, according to The Times of Israel. The strikes killed more than 450 people, including 150 civilians, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. In response, Iran launched more than 800 ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, damaging Tel Aviv and Haifa, killing 53 people, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Khamenei’s poor mental health, mentioned by the Israeli official, may be linked to the loss of key IRGC figures, including commander Hossein Salami, who was killed in a surgical strike. According to The Washington Post, the killing of senior officers has undermined the IRGC’s command structure, forcing Tehran to appoint a new commander in chief, Mohammad Pakpour, who has announced the ninth wave of Operation True Promise 3.