Months before the protests erupted in Iran, its citizens began to quietly withdraw their funds from Iran's banks. As protests have now swept across Iran, the nation's banking sector faces unprecedented strain, with reports of full-scale bank runs. The Iranian regime has responded with withdrawal suspensions. The plummeting value of the currency is fueling fears of systemic collapse.

In the midst of a rapidly escalating crisis in Iran, unverified social media posts and leaked videos—primarily disseminated via Starlink satellite internet and some satellite phones—are fueling speculation that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has fled Tehran. These claims suggest that Khamenei, along with key regime figures, may have evacuated the capital as protests intensify, with some accounts pointing to a potential relocation to Moscow or other safe havens (bunkers