{"id":18964,"date":"2026-02-28T23:43:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T23:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/2026\/02\/28\/who-will-succeed-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-inside-irans-uncertain-power-struggle\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T23:43:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T23:43:00","slug":"who-will-succeed-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-inside-irans-uncertain-power-struggle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/2026\/02\/28\/who-will-succeed-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-inside-irans-uncertain-power-struggle\/","title":{"rendered":"Who will succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei? Inside Iran&#8217;s Uncertain Power Struggle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Saturday. This is set to shake the foundations of clerical rule in the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n<p>The political system he ruled for more than three decades was not designed to absorb a sudden removal. The succession process exists on paper. Whether it will work in a crisis is another question.<\/p>\n<h3>Who could succeed Khamenei as \u2018Supreme Leader\u2019?<\/h3>\n<p>According to Reuters, Iran&#8217;s constitution requires the supreme leader to be a cleric in accordance with the doctrine of vilayat-e faqih, guardianship of Islamic jurists. The principle is that authority should rest with a high-ranking religious scholar until the return of the 12th Imam, a Shiite Muslim who disappeared in the 9th century.<\/p>\n<p>Under Khamenei and his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, the supreme leader had the final say on all state affairs, but the regime has never faced such a challenge before.<\/p>\n<p><iframe scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"62\" awidth=\"320\" aheight=\"62\" amplayout=\"fixed\" src=\"https:\/\/akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com\/sites\/indiatoday\/banner\/preferred-source-new.html?v=1.014\" class=\"preferred-source-banner\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Khamenei&#8217;s influence was often wielded through close advisers. But it is unclear how many of these senior figures survived the aftermath of Saturday&#8217;s strike.<\/p>\n<p>Potential candidates previously mentioned by analysts include his son Mojtaba Khamenei and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic. Other prelates were also cited.<\/p>\n<p>But Reuters notes that no one person currently has Khamenei&#8217;s authority and a successor may have difficulty asserting control over powerful institutions such as the Revolutionary Guards or high-ranking clerical institutions.<\/p>\n<h3>Will Iran&#8217;s theocracy last?<\/h3>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s clerical establishment maintains control over powerful institutions that form nearly every layer of the political system, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>At its center is the Council of Experts, a body of senior ayatollahs elected every eight years. Congress is constitutionally tasked with appointing the supreme leader and, in theory, has the power to try or remove him. But Congress has never exercised that power.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, any decision regarding succession will likely be decided by the highest power brokers within the Islamic Republic before being formally approved by parliament. It is unclear who will dominate the process, with several senior Revolutionary Guards figures reported dead.<\/p>\n<p>The Guardian Council, half appointed by the Supreme Leader and half by the Minister of Justice, can veto parliamentary legislation and disqualify candidates from election. That authority has often been used to ignore criticism of Ali Khamenei, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s judiciary operates according to Shia interpretations of Islamic law, and the chief justice is appointed by the supreme leader. The current leader, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, was sanctioned by the West over his crackdown on protests in 2009.<\/p>\n<p>Reuters also identified other influential clerics as potential agents of the transition, including former judiciary minister Sadiq Larijani, Council of Experts member Mohsen Araki and Tehran&#8217;s Friday prayer leader Ahmad Khatami.<\/p>\n<h3>What role can the Revolutionary Guard play?<\/h3>\n<p>The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operates outside the authority of Iran&#8217;s elected government and answers directly to the Supreme Leader. This is different from the regular army under the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n<p>Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that IRGC commander Mohammed Fakpour was killed in an airstrike on Saturday. This was an event that could reshape the internal balance of power.<\/p>\n<p>Created in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution, the Guard expanded its influence during the 1980-88 war with Iraq and has since developed into the strongest and best-equipped unit of Iran&#8217;s military, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n<p>Over the decades, the IRGC has established a strong presence in politics and business, expanding its reach beyond the battlefield. The elite Quds Force drives Iran&#8217;s regional strategy and supports Shiite coalition forces across the Middle East. This strategy suffered a major setback after the U.S. killing of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020 and Israel&#8217;s campaign against Hezbollah in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The Basij militia, under IRGC control, has frequently been deployed to suppress domestic protests.<\/p>\n<p>Reuters noted that Israel targeted senior Guard commanders, raising questions about possible intelligence infiltration at the highest level. Nonetheless, the IRGC is widely expected to play a decisive role in shaping the Islamic Republic&#8217;s next plans.<\/p>\n<h3>Why does Iran have elections?<\/h3>\n<p>Iran combines clerical oversight with elected bodies, according to Reuters. Citizens vote for the President and Congress every four years, but final authority rests with the Supreme Leader.<\/p>\n<p>Iranians elect a president and parliament for four-year terms. The president forms the government and manages day-to-day policy, but decisions must be made within boundaries set by the country&#8217;s unelected leaders, Reuters notes.<\/p>\n<p>In the early years after the 1979 revolution, electoral participation was high. But over time, trust in the system eroded. But the Guardian Council&#8217;s limitations on candidates, the controversial 2009 election results, and the hegemony of the state&#8217;s unelected districts have undermined confidence in electoral politics.<\/p>\n<p>President Massoud Fezeshkian, who is considered a relatively moderate party, was elected in 2024, defeating a hard-line rival. Israel said he was also targeted in an airstrike on Saturday, but there was no confirmation of his status later that day.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; end<\/p>\n<p>Based on Reuters comments<\/p>\n<div class=\"authors__container\">\n<div class=\"authors__by\">\n<p>Posted by: <\/p>\n<p>Nitish Singh<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"published__on\">\n<p>Posted on: <\/p>\n<p>March 1, 2026 05:13 IST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Saturday. This is set to shake the foundations of clerical rule in the Islamic Republic. The political system he ruled for more than three decades was not designed to absorb a sudden removal. The succession process exists on paper. Whether it will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[20445,49279,20463,49278,49277,49061],"class_list":["post-18964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","tag-iran","tag-iranian-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei","tag-israel","tag-us-president-donald-trump","tag-us-israel-attack-on-iran","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18964\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umang.pk\/ur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}