Khamenei’s death opens uncertain chapter for Iran’s entrenched theocracy

The killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei triggers a high-stakes succession process in Iran, with clerical elites and the IRGC poised to shape whether the regime endures, militarizes or fractures.

Ashley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.

"Mere survival, at this point, would be considered a victory," the diplomat said of the regime, according to the outlet, following U.S. and Israeli strikes across the country.

A recent report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) outlined three broad trajectories for a post-Khamenei Iran: managed regime continuity, an overt or creeping military takeover, or systemic collapse.