Trump: Iran Will Be ‘Hit hard Reports Claim Khamenei escape plan

Trump Warns Iran Will Be ‘Hit Very Hard’ As Reports Claim Khamenei Has Moscow Escape Plan

A fresh crisis is erupting across Iran as nationwide protests stretch into a second turbulent week — and now Donald Trump is warning Tehran that any lethal crackdown on demonstrators will trigger a crushing U.S. response. At the same time, extraordinary claims are surfacing that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has drawn up a secret contingency plan to flee to Russia if his regime begins to fall apart.

Speaking to reporters just a day after authorising the dramatic U.S. raid that captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, Trump issued a blunt threat to Iran’s rulers.

“We’re watching it very closely,” he said. “If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.” He had already warned on Truth Social that the U.S. was “locked and loaded,” making clear Washington would not ignore bloodshed on the streets.

The comments come as demonstrations surge across the country over economic collapse, corruption and anger at Khamenei’s hard-line rule. What began with bazaar merchants closing their shops has now spread to major cities including Ahvaz, Qeshm, Mashhad and Hamadan. Some protesters have even chanted support for exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi — an unthinkable move in Iran only a few years ago.

So far, at least 12 people — including security personnel — have reportedly been killed. The unrest is now being described as the most serious challenge to the regime since the 2022-23 uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Tehran has reacted furiously to Trump’s warnings. Senior regime figure Ali Larijani accused Washington of stoking instability and declared that any U.S. interference would only inflame the region further. But behind the rhetoric, reports suggest the regime’s inner circle is rattled.

According to intelligence shared with The Times, the 86-year-old Khamenei has already prepared a “Plan B” evacuation route to Moscow should his security forces begin defecting. The Supreme Leader would reportedly flee with around 20 of his closest relatives and advisers — including his powerful son Mojtaba — mirroring the emergency exit once used by Syria’s Bashar al-Assad when rebels closed in on Damascus.

Khamenei’s vast personal wealth — estimated in one 2013 investigation to total around $95 billion — is believed to be positioned abroad to ease such an escape. Several senior regime insiders are also reported to have family members already living in the U.S., Canada and the Gulf.

Meanwhile, security forces — including the IRGC and Basij militia — have been accused of using brutal tactics such as live ammunition and tear gas against demonstrators. A Western intelligence psychological assessment reportedly describes Khamenei as increasingly “paranoid” and weakened, both physically and mentally, since last year’s conflict with Israel — spending extended periods hiding in bunkers.

For now, Trump’s warning has drawn a red line: if the regime unleashes the kind of lethal repression seen in past uprisings, the White House says Iran should expect consequences “like never before.”

And as unrest spreads, the question haunting Tehran is simple — will Khamenei stand and fight, or fly to Moscow when the pressure becomes too much?

Key Takeaways

• Trump issues blunt warning: The U.S. will “hit Iran very hard” if protesters are killed in a regime crackdown.

• Escape plan claims surface: Intelligence reports suggest Khamenei plans to flee to Russia if his rule collapses.

• Iran rocked by biggest unrest in years: Protests over economic collapse and repression continue to spread nationwide.

SOURCE: EXPRESS