As tensions mount with Washington, Iran’s leadership has moved to implement what senior officials describe as a comprehensive wartime plan that combines military mobilization, internal security measures and detailed political contingency planning, The New York Times reported. 

At the center of that effort is Ali Larijani, a veteran official whom Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has tasked with overseeing preparations as the threat of U.S. military action grows.

According to six senior Iranian officials, including one linked to Khamenei’s office, three members of the Revolutionary Guards and two former diplomats, Iran is operating on the assumption that American strikes are “inevitable and imminent,” even as nuclear negotiations continue.

Military Mobilization

Officials said Iran has placed all armed forces on the highest state of alert.

Ballistic missile launchers have been positioned along Iran’s western border with Iraq, within range of Israel, and along the country’s southern coastline on the Persian Gulf, where they can target U.S. military bases and naval vessels in the region.

In recent weeks, Iran has periodically closed its airspace to conduct missile tests. It has also carried out military exercises in the Persian Gulf, briefly disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.

In a recent interview with Al Jazeera in Doha, Larijani said Iran had spent months addressing vulnerabilities.

“We are ready in our country,” he said. “We are definitely more powerful than before. We have prepared in the past seven, eight months. We found our weaknesses and fixed them. We are not looking for war, and we won’t start the war. But if they force it on us, we will respond.”

Khamenei has also struck a defiant tone publicly, warning that the United States could receive a blow from which it “won’t be able to get on its feet,” and threatening U.S. warships operating near Iranian waters.

Internal Security Measures

Officials said preparations extend beyond military deployments.

In the event of war, special police units, intelligence agents and battalions of the Basij militia,  affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, would be deployed across major cities. Checkpoints would be set up to prevent unrest and to identify individuals suspected of links to foreign intelligence services.

Larijani has also overseen efforts to contain dissent following recent nationwide protests. According to the officials, he was given authority to coordinate the security response aimed at preventing further unrest during a potential external conflict.

Continuity of Government

Iran’s leadership has also prepared for the possibility that senior officials, including Khamenei, could be killed in strikes or assassination attempts.

Officials said Khamenei has issued directives establishing four layers of succession for each senior military and government position he appoints. Senior figures have been instructed to name up to four replacements of their own.

Decision-making authority has been delegated to a small circle of trusted officials in case communication with the supreme leader is disrupted or he is killed.

During last June’s 12-day conflict with Israel, which exposed vulnerabilities in Iran’s command structure, Khamenei reportedly identified three potential successors to himself. Their names have not been made public.

Following that conflict, Larijani was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. A new National Defense Council was also formed to manage wartime affairs.

Larijani is widely seen as central to crisis management. Officials said he is responsible for coordinating with key allies, including Russia, and regional actors such as Qatar and Oman, while also overseeing indirect nuclear negotiations with Washington.

In addition to Larijani, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has been designated to command the armed forces during wartime.

Officials said discussions have also addressed who could temporarily run the country if top leaders are killed. Larijani is viewed as a leading candidate for such a role, followed by Ghalibaf and former president Hassan Rouhani.

Consolidation of Authority

Since January, Larijani’s public role has expanded significantly. He has traveled to Moscow for consultations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and met regional leaders while engaging in nuclear talks. He has given lengthy television interviews and increased his public appearances.

By contrast, President Masoud Pezeshkian has taken a more limited role. Iranian media reported that when Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sought authorization to respond to a U.S. inquiry regarding possible executions of protesters — after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of potential strikes — the president directed him to consult Larijani.

Officials said the shift reflects a deliberate consolidation of authority as Iran prepares for possible war.

“The system is preparing for the worst-case scenario,” one senior official said. “Everything is being arranged so that even if there is war, and even if leaders are targeted, the state continues to function.”

For now, diplomacy continues alongside military readiness. But inside Iran’s leadership, officials say planning is centered on a single assumption: that confrontation with the United States may soon move from threat to reality.