According to the latest report from Iranian media today (1), after Supreme Leader Khameni was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, Iran has officially activated the interim leadership mechanism stipulated in Article 111 of the Constitution: a three-person committee consisting of President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Minister of Justice, and a jurist from the Guardian Council will jointly lead the operation of the country.
This marks the first time Iran has initiated the succession process for its Supreme Leader since the death of Khomeini in 1989, and it is also the first practical application of this constitutional provision in a wartime context.
It is worth noting that Pezechyan is a reformist, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) controls an economic empire estimated at over $100 billion. The effectiveness of the three-person committee depends on the military's willingness to cooperate with a reformist president. The CIA has previously warned that Khamenei's downfall could directly lead to an IRGC seizure of power.
Several high-ranking Iranian officials have been killed; a list of potential successors has been released.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the first round of airstrikes also killed seven high-ranking officials, including Khamenei's advisor Ali Shamkhani, and targeted approximately 30 high-ranking military and political figures, severely weakening Iran's command chain. Under these circumstances, it remains uncertain whether the 88-member expert council can safely convene to elect a new supreme leader, as the constitution does not set a timeline for succession, and it has not yet been announced.
The currently emerging candidates for succession include:
- Whether Khamini's son, Mujtaba, survived the airstrike is unconfirmed.
- Larijani, the most senior civilian official known to be alive after the air raids.
- And Khomeini's grandson, Hassan Khomeini.
The three individuals represent three paths: hereditary succession, pragmatism, and reform, but none of them may be able to simultaneously satisfy the needs of both the clergy and the Revolutionary Guard.
