If Iran’s widely despised supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flees into exile in Moscow in the face of a collapsing Iranian regime as has been suggested, he will join a small circle of toppled despots living in relative comfort in the Russian capital.
That prospect gained traction this week following a report in the Times of London which, quoting intelligence sources, said the Iranian leader has prepared a backup plan to flee to the Russian capital with about 20 family and close associates if his regime continues to crumble.
This is what dissent looks like when the stakes are life and death.
In the West, we’re used to protest as performance.
In Iran, it can be a death sentence.Do not underestimate the courage it takes for an uncovered woman, on camera, to do this. pic.twitter.com/L9YOyOYVwI
— Gerald Posner (@geraldposner) January 10, 2026
Iran protesters defy crackdown as videos show violent clashes
Protesters in Iran defied a deadly government crackdown on Saturday night, taking to the streets despite reports suggesting hundreds of people have been killed or wounded by security forces in the past three days.
Verified videos and eyewitness accounts seen by the BBC appeared to show the government was ramping up its response, as it continues an overarching internet blackout.
