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ConflictsIran

Who will lead Iran after death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?

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March 4, 2026

Who will succeed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been killed in US and Israeli airstrikes? It could be yet another hardliner, as even US President Donald Trump has had to acknowledge.

Iran has delayed the state funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after his killing in a US-Israeli strike, as uncertainty grows over his successor. Mojtaba Khamenei is seen as the leading contender, though Iran has issued no confirmation amid ongoing attacks. Reformist Hassan Komeini and exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi are also in the spotlight. With fears of further instability and foreign threats, Iran faces a pivotal and unpredictable transition.

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