US EditionA Look at Who Holds the Reins of Power in Iran Since the Country’s Top Leaders Were Killed
Mojtaba Khamenei, closely tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, assumes leadership as the Guard consolidates control following Israeli strikes that killed multiple top Iranian leaders.
- After the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran’s new leader, with experts suggesting the Revolutionary Guard now holds power.
- The leadership transition follows a series of Israeli strikes that eliminated top-ranking military and political figures, leaving Iran's command and control structure in disarray.
- With Mojtaba remaining a secretive, unseen figure, analysts suggest the Islamic Revolutionary Guard now holds actual power, described as an 'empty entity' by Kobi Michael of the Institute for National Security Studies.
- Thursday, Israeli officials suggest the broader strategy aims to destabilize Iran by weakening its capacity to project power, as Netanyahu stated he's "not sure who's running Iran right now."
- While the loss of key decision-makers will have transformative consequences, Burcu Ozcelik explained the regime's change could be gradual; the situation remains highly unstable.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Iran’s ‘Misfunctioning’ Regime Left Scrambling as Infrastructure Hammered by U.S-Israel Strikes
Iran’s ruling regime is facing growing instability following reports that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a recent Israeli strike, with analysts warning that the country’s leadership structure is now fractured and struggling to function, scrambling for survival.
Berlin/Jerusalem – Within a few hours, Israel's armed forces have succeeded in killing three high-ranking Iranian leaders in separate airstrikes,
Targeted strikes on Iran's leadership
People attend a funeral ceremony in Tehran, Iran, March 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Shadati) CAIRO, EGYPT | Xinhua | In a matter of days, a string of high-profile killings has torn through Iran’s senior ranks, claiming the lives of Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib, among others. The wave of targeted strikes raises urgent questions about the Islamic Republic’s stability, its capacity…
Iran has not announced replacements for most of the senior officials killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the conflict on February 28. According to a CNN survey, successors have not been announced for more than a dozen high-ranking officials since their deaths were reported in Iranian state media. The last major appointments to security posts were announced in early March. On March 1, Ahmad Vahidi was appointed head of the Islamic Revolu…
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