The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has begun to consider his backup plans should the protests in his country continue to spread and remain uncontained by the Iranian military.
An intelligence report revealed that his “plan B” includes escaping to Russia along with his political allies and family members.
A stark contrast to Syria’s Assad
The report was provided by Beni Sabti, a former intelligence operative official of Israel, saying that an apparent escape to Russia was his safest bet to prolong his “obsession with survival” and cling to power despite widespread calls for him to step down by the protesters.
He said that the 86-year-old supreme leader is expected to bring at least 20 of his most loyal allies and family members to Moscow and oversee the majority of his holdings on the semi-state-owned Setad.
Setad is widely known as a charitable organisation, partly run by the Iranian government.
A 2013 report from Reuters suggested that Khamenei’s share and assets in Setad could reach $95 billion.
While considering fleeing to Russia, many have pointed out the uncanny similarity of Khamenei’s situation to that of former President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted from Syria as he and his family sought asylum in Moscow.
Like Assad, Khamenei has also established close and strong ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who shares the same dissent against Western powers.
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Economic protests engulf most of Iran
Human rights groups in Iran have confirmed that the economic protests, now in their second week, have spread to most areas of the Arab nation.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), protests are present in at least 222 locations in Iran, including 78 cities and 26 provinces.
The movement erupted at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, where groups of people called out the failure of the government to fix the economy amid the continuous fall of the value of the Iranian rial against the dollar.
But according to Iranian Police Chief Ahmadreza Radan, their forces will remain at large to quell the number of the “rioters” with the help of intelligence units in Iran, with protesters condemning the use of force by the national authorities.
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Over 1,200 arrested while death toll continues to rise
The HRANA confirmed in a report that the Iranian authorities have arrested more than 1,200 protesters and warned that such figures could increase in the coming days as the nationwide demonstrations worsen.
As for the number of deaths, the United States-based human rights group has received an official tally that 29 civilians have been killed during the protests, as well as four children caught in the event.
The Iranian security forces have also reported two casualties on their side, bringing the current total death toll to 35.
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Adam Peaker 
Newsjustnews writers 
Carmela Calling