TEHRAN: New York Times Reveals Iran’s War Preparations and Succession Plans Amid US Threats
New York: The New York Times has reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has entrusted Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a longtime trusted ally, with effectively steering the country’s key affairs since early January 2026.
This shift comes amid escalating threats of US military strikes, nationwide protests, and preparations for potential war.
According to the report, citing senior Iranian officials and Revolutionary Guards members, Khamenei has instructed Larijani and a small circle of loyalists to devise multi-layered succession plans for critical positions, including emergency chains of command to ensure regime survival in case of targeted killings or disruption, even if Khamenei himself is assassinated.
The article notes that President Masoud Pezeshkian has been sidelined in major decision-making, with Larijani overseeing nuclear negotiations with the US, managing alliances (including with Russia, Qatar, and Oman), suppressing dissent, and coordinating defense strategies.
Iran has placed its armed forces on the highest state of alert, deployed ballistic missile launchers along its western border with Iraq (within range of Israel) and along its southern coast on the Persian Gulf (within range of US bases), conducted missile tests by periodically closing airspace, and held military exercises in the Gulf, including briefly shutting the Strait of Hormuz.
The report highlights that Iranian officials view US military strikes as imminent and unavoidable, despite ongoing indirect talks. Western sources have indicated the US could target Iran’s top leadership during any attacks.
The developments unfold against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East, with the US building up forces in the region and President Trump weighing options for limited strikes to pressure Iran on its nuclear program and other issues.
