Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, has been killed in an assault attributed to the United States and Israel, as reported by state media. In his absence, there are expectations that a hardline figure will take over, following U.S. President Donald Trump's incitement for regime change among the Iranian populace, though the response of the citizens remains uncertain. An interim leadership committee, comprising three members, has been established to fulfill Khamenei's duties based on the constitution.

According to reports from The New York Times and Reuters, the actual leadership during this transitional period is likely to be held by Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Larijani has reportedly been granted extensive powers by Khamenei for managing the nation in case of emergencies. His political background includes roles as a member of parliament, cabinet minister, and key figure in various Iranian regimes, where he has shifted from being seen as a pragmatic conservative to adopting a more hardline approach amid recent protests and their violent repression.

The focus now turns to who will be formally appointed as the next Supreme Leader. Khamenei had previously designated three candidates for succession last June: Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of Iran's judiciary, Ali Asghar Hejazi, Khamenei's chief of staff, and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini. Among them, Ejei has emerged as a prominent hardliner advocating rapid executions for protest participants, while Hassan Khomeini is viewed as a moderate reformer. Reports suggest that Hejazi has died in the airstrike, creating further uncertainty in the power dynamics within Iran, amidst Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, being backed by some factions, despite Khamenei’s apparent wish against hereditary succession of leadership positions.