Iran’s embattled supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is reportedly hiding in a fortified underground bunker as President Donald J. Trump’s decisive military strikes cripple the regime’s nuclear ambitions and destabilize its leadership from within.

According to insiders quoted by The Atlantic, Khamenei, 86, is “cowering” underground, bracing for death and scrambling to name a successor. The source claims the regime may not even wait for a natural death before replacing him, as internal fractures threaten to topple the theocracy from within.

"Everybody knows Khamenei’s days are numbered,” one senior Iranian official said. “Even if he stays in office, he won’t have actual power.”

The collapse of Khamenei’s grip on Iran comes just days after Operation Midnight Hammer, when U.S. B-2 bombers and Navy submarines obliterated Iran’s top three nuclear enrichment facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — in a show of American strength under Trump’s leadership.

As intelligence reports confirmed, Khamenei delivered his last public remarks from a subterranean bunker, anticipating further U.S. or Israeli military actions. President Trump, who publicly hinted he would “decide in two weeks” whether to strike, had in fact already executed the operation in secret — blindsiding the regime.

Khamenei is believed to have ceased using electronic communication devices, likely in response to Trump’s viral Truth Social post last week in which the president envisioned eliminating the Iranian dictator once and for all.

Meanwhile, multiple international outlets are now confirming that Iran’s regime is in full-blown succession crisis mode. Khamenei’s inner circle is reportedly fast-tracking the process to replace him, with candidates including his 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the Islamic Republic’s founder.

According to Reuters, a secret three-man committee was established two years ago to oversee succession. That effort has now accelerated dramatically, with the regime fearing it may not survive the backlash from within — or the wrath of the United States and Israel from above.

Five sources told the outlet that Khamenei’s family is being protected by Iran’s elite Vali-ye Amr unit, the personal bodyguard wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as fears mount that Israel may attempt to assassinate him in the wake of the U.S. operation.

Officials also say that the next leader must remain committed to the anti-Western revolutionary ideology of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, but also be able to rebrand Iran’s global image in hopes of reducing the likelihood of further strikes from the United States or its allies.

Hassan Khomeini, a self-styled "reformer," remains respected by Iran’s clerical elite despite his more moderate rhetoric. On Sunday, he issued a vague statement of loyalty to the regime:
"I once again humbly express that this small and insignificant servant of the Iranian people stands ready to proudly be present on any front or scene you deem necessary.”

Whether this is a genuine signal of unity — or a ploy to maintain influence in a crumbling regime — remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, fallout from Trump’s daring military success is being felt across the region. On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place advisory for all Americans residing in the country, citing intelligence that Iran could attempt retaliatory attacks on U.S. military targets within the next 48 hours.

While the advisory was framed as precautionary, Fox News reports that Pentagon officials are bracing for potential Iranian strikes on U.S. installations in the Gulf region — particularly Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The State Department has also urged Americans around the globe to exercise increased vigilance amid heightened threats to U.S. interests following the devastating blow dealt to Iran’s nuclear program.

"The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East. There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad,” a State Department statement warned.

With Khamenei in hiding, Iran’s military scattered, and Trump firmly in command, the world is witnessing what may be the final chapter of the Islamic Republic’s reign of terror.