"Be Careful" Warnings Issued... Larijani, Khamenei's Closest Ally, Emerges as Successor [US Iran Attack]

Key Aide Frequently Acted as Khamenei's Representative
Extensive Experience in Military and Parliament Seen as Strength
Trust from Hardline Conservatives Remains Uncertain

With the United States announcing the death of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, attention is focused on the potential structure of the next leadership. Although President Masoud Pezeshkian is the official second-in-command, the position of Supreme Leader-which presides over the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches-is not automatically succeeded by the president.

According to Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution, should the Supreme Leader become incapacitated, an emergency committee composed of three individuals-the president, the chief justice, and a senior cleric from the Guardian Council-temporarily assumes authority. However, there is uncertainty over the composition of Iran’s interim supreme leadership, as some senior officials may already have been killed in the recent military operation.

Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to CNN on February 28 (local time), targets of the Israeli and U.S. airstrikes included not only Supreme Leader Khamenei, but also President Pezeshkian, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, and Secretary of the Defense Council Ali Shamkhani.

During Khamenei's lifetime, Ali Larijani was considered one of the most likely successors. In recent years, he acted as Khamenei’s representative in key negotiations with Russia, China, and the Gulf monarchies.

Born in 1958, Larijani is a former philosophy professor at the University of Tehran. He majored in mathematics and computer science and received a doctorate after studying the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. He served as Speaker of Parliament from 2008 to 2020, held ministerial posts in four different ministries, and has experience as a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He is regarded as having a deep understanding of the system due to his experience across the legislative, executive, and military branches.

Larijani was once classified as a "pragmatic conservative" in the West, but he is said to have supported a hardline response during recent anti-government protests. However, due to actions such as his swift passage of the 2015 nuclear accord (JCPOA), there are assessments that he does not have the full trust of the hardline conservative faction. In fact, the conservative bloc has prevented him from running in presidential elections in the past.

Among those mentioned by the hardline conservative camp is Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the current Speaker of Parliament. Born in 1961, he is a former IRGC member with strong military backing and is reportedly close to Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Amid the turmoil following the death of the Supreme Leader, whether the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps maintains unity or is divided by internal factional strife is expected to determine the future direction of Iran.

If the Revolutionary Guard and military maintain a united front, the current power structure can largely be preserved through a reorganization among senior clerics or military-led integration, even if leading figures in the Iranian leadership have died. If internal fissures arise, other political paths may open up; however, for the time being, there are reportedly no signs of such developments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.