Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly sheltering in a fortified underground bunker in Tehran amid warnings of a possible US military strike as American naval forces move toward the Persian Gulf.

Reports say he has delegated day-to-day control of the regime to his son while Iranian officials publicly issue threats of all-out war if he is attacked.

Khamenei’s recent silence on social media and past bunker retreats during conflict have fueled speculation about the regime’s private fears.

At the same time, Iran is facing massive internal unrest, with reports of tens of thousands killed or wounded during brutal crackdowns on protests sparked by economic collapse and drought, the U.S. Sun has reported.

Critics, including exiled opposition figures, accuse the regime of waging war on its own people while escalating rhetoric against the United States and its allies.