Former IRGC commander says Khamenei advisor dismissed threat to his life before war

Hossein Alaei, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy, said he warned former Supreme Leader's advisor Ali Shamkhani three days before the war that the United States and Israel would begin the conflict by assassinating Iran’s leadership.

Alaei said Ali Shamkhani replied that they could not kill Ali Khamenei because they would not be able to find him.

A large shelter had been built beneath Khamenei’s compound, stretching about five kilometers at a depth of roughly 40 meters underground.

Alaei said he had assessed that the US and Israel’s plan A had been the 12-day war, their plan B was the January protests, and that he had predicted their plan C would begin with killing Khamenei.

Supporters of the Islamic Republic have insisted that Khamenei did not use the shelter. But Amir-Hossein Sabeti, a member of parliament, said in a street speech that one reason for Khamenei’s assassination was that Iran had been caught off guard by the atmosphere of negotiations and had failed to take the necessary measures to protect his life.