Is IRGC Khamenei's last stand? ‘He will not leave Tehran even if B-52s are flying overhead’

As Iran boils in protests, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly ordered the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to raise its readiness to a level that exceeds that of the recent 12-day war.

Though there were reports that Khamenei and 20 of his close family members, including heir Mojtabha, could flee to Russia if the protests reach his inner circle, the Supreme Leader has no plans to do so, a senior Iranian official told the UK-based Telegraph.

The Iranian regime is said to be in “survival mode,” but the official insisted Khamenei has no plans to leave the country, and such a claim bears no resemblance to his character. “He will not leave Tehran even if B-52s are flying overhead,” said one official, adding that Khamenei was in closer contact with the IRGC.  

“He is in closer contact with the IRGC than with the army or the police, because he believes the risk of IRGC defections is almost non-existent, whereas others have defected before. He has placed his fate in the hands of the IRGC,” the official quoted.

There are also reports that the underground "missile cities" have been activated to counter external threats.

2000 died in firings

As protests intensify, reports have claimed that over 2,000 protesters were killed in the last 48 hours. The Islamic regime has reportedly ordered security forces to use lethal force against protesters nationwide, UK-based Iran International quoted sources, adding that preliminary estimates point to mass casualties as a sweeping crackdown unfolds amid a near-total internet shutdown.

Iran International also claimed to have footage from Kahrizak, south of Tehran, showing several dead bodies in body bags. It added that dozens of bodies are visible at the site, with additional bodies reportedly located in another nearby industrial shed. Two eyewitnesses who visited Kahrizak in search of their loved ones told Iran International that they saw more than 400 bodies there.  

Videos from hospitals in Fardis, Karaj, and Alghadir Hospital, all in eastern Tehran, showed similar scenes of bodies, while footage from the streets showed dead bodies on the ground. According to Iran International, mass killings were happening across the country.

Though the internet shutdown that began on January 9 has effectively eliminated the  possibility of obtaining a complete picture of the situation on the ground, Iran International claimed it had been receiving reports and accounts indicating the use of deadly weapons to disperse protesters is ongoing on a large scale. The most conservative estimates indicate that at least 2000 people have been killed in the firings, the report claimed.