Unveiling Iran’s Shadow Succession: What the Supreme Leader’s Death Means for America

The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei marks not just a turning point within Iran’s opaque theocracy but a critical moment with profound consequences for American national security and global stability. Behind closed doors, an 88-member Assembly of Experts—handpicked by unelected clerics under the Guardian Council's thumb—is tasked with selecting the next supreme leader. But with no precedent for removing a sitting leader and elections tightly controlled to exclude moderates like former President Rouhani, this is less a democratic process and more a succession within an insulated religious oligarchy determined to perpetuate its radical agenda. Why Does Iran’s Succession Matter to...