Kanal13Iran has imposed unprecedented security measures around Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to sources close to the ruling circles, senior regime officials permitted to communicate with him in person are being brought to his location blindfolded to conceal the exact location of his hideout. Meetings are reportedly being held in a strictly limited format, and officials’ travel routes are being changed at the last minute. Security measures have been stepped up amid growing regional tensions and fears of possible attacks on key facilities and the country’s leadership.
According to sources, only a select circle of military and political leaders, who have undergone additional security screening, are allowed to meet with Khamenei. Travel is organized through several transit points, and communication devices are confiscated during meetings. In preparation for a possible war, Iran has also sharply increased oil shipments from the Kharg Island terminal, the country’s main export hub, according to Bloomberg and Kpler, an analytics company that monitors global energy flows.
According to their data, the rate of oil loading reached approximately 3.8 million barrels per day over the past week—almost three times the average. Analysts note that such a sharp increase indicates a targeted strategy to expedite the removal of inventories. Based on monitoring of shipping activity, oil is being actively transferred to large-capacity tankers on the high seas. This arrangement allows crude to be transferred from land-based storage facilities to floating storage facilities, which are less susceptible to attack in the event of military escalation or attacks on infrastructure. Some operations are reportedly accompanied by the disabling or distortion of signals from the vessels’ automatic identification systems. This “dark activity” makes it difficult to determine the precise location of tankers and indicates an attempt to conceal the routes of the so-called shadow fleet, which primarily travels to East Asia.
Experts estimate that up to 200 million barrels of Iranian oil may already be stored in floating storage facilities near China. This creates a strategic reserve that will allow continued supplies to a key buyer even in the event of a blockage of the Strait of Hormuz or serious damage to port infrastructure. Discussions about the possibility of a radical turnaround in Iran are becoming increasingly common in Israeli political circles and Western capitals. However, as military observer Avi Ashkenazi points out, behind the grandiose statements, there is no clear and realistic plan of action yet. In his assessment, the United States found itself drawn into a dangerous dynamic without sufficient preparation. Ashkenazi notes that Washington lacked a deep intelligence picture or clearly defined end goals.
As a result, the agenda simultaneously shifted to destroying the nuclear program, neutralizing ballistic missiles, and even overthrowing the regime—each of which requires a large-scale, long-term strategy. The catalyst for these developments was protests within Iran. President Donald Trump declared his support for democratic values and the Iranian demonstrators. However, Ashkenazi believes that moral rhetoric is no substitute for military and political planning. He points out that the White House leader understands the lack of a well-thought-out scenario for the “day after” of a possible escalation, despite reports in the American media that he is satisfied with the military options presented.
The most dramatic scenario remains an attempt to overthrow Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This, according to Ashkenazi, is where the greatest illusion lies. He is effectively saying that the chances of a successful regime change are slim. Israel’s experience with protracted campaigns against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon is cited as an example. Despite the assassination of their leaders, attacks on infrastructure, and the destruction of their governance systems, these structures continue to function. While a complete dismantling of the government has been unsuccessful even in limited areas, the task against Iran—a state with far greater resources and scale—is incomparably more difficult.
