Post-Khamenei Iran: Succession race widens as decentralized system sustains war

Jason Brodsky of United Against Nuclear Iran said power has become “diffuse,” now resting formally with a three-person interim leadership council while multiple political and clerical figures compete for influence. “There used to be a centralized address for the final decision-making. Now there’s a wider array of people. So it’s flatter,” said Brodsky. Potential candidates, he said, include members of the interim leadership structure such as Alireza Arafi and Chief Justice Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, as well as other clerical figures outside the council. Brodsky pointed to Hassan Khomeini—grandson of the Islamic Republic’s founder—alongside conservative clerics including Mohammad Mahdi Mirbagheri, Mohsen Araki and Mohsen Qomi as individuals to watch. At the same time, senior political figures such as Ali Larijani and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf remain influential actors shaping decision-making during the transition. “With Khamenei and his family gone, that really leaves the succession race wide open,” Brodsky said.