Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on Feb 28 in an extensive US-Israeli air attack. Iranian officials confirmed his death and retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks across the region.
Along with Mr Khamenei, Iran’s top military brass was also killed in the air strikes. This included national defence council head Ali Shamkhani, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour and Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.
US President Donald Trump said the air strikes were “so successful” that other candidates who could take over Iran were also killed.
Israeli military operations over the past two years had already killed some of Iran’s senior military officials, while Israeli military action in Gaza and Lebanon has weakened Hamas and Hezbollah, which are proxies of the Iranian regime.
Iran’s military leadership structure is centralised under its supreme leader. Several top commanders were reportedly killed in the attacks.
Source: Reuters (As at March 3, 2026)
Who was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
From 1989 when he assumed power, Mr Khamenei was the ultimate authority on all matters of governance in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a Shi’ite theocratic regime.
He succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the 1979 revolution that overthrew the US-backed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi monarchy.
During his decades in power, Mr Khamenei had a tense relationship with the West, enduring sanctions and repeated domestic protests over economic hardship and rights issues. He frequently referred to the US as Iran’s “No. 1 enemy”, with Israel a close second.
Mr Khamenei built the so-called Axis of Resistance to extend Iran’s influence across the region. This network included Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Yemen’s Houthis, and Shi’ite militias in Iraq and Syria.
Who’s now in power, and what happens next?
While uncertainty remains on the leadership transition following Mr Khamenei’s death, the Iranian regime looks more entrenched than the Trump administration and Israeli leadership might have assumed, and effecting a regime change could prove extremely challenging.
Iran’s state structure consists of religious and administrative councils and a powerful military leadership. It also consists of elected bodies such as the Office of the President and the Parliament, although all candidates for elections require vetting and approval by religious and regime authorities.
Here’s a breakdown of Iran’s power structure.
Iran’s military leadership structure is centralised under its Supreme Leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, became Iran’s second supreme leader in 1989, after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
All organs of state fall under the Supreme Leader, and among the key ones are the Armed Forces and judiciary. Iran is one of the few countries with a two-track military structure – a regular army and the IRGC, which serves to protect the regime from domestic threats like anti-regime protests and uprisings.
Several key officials from the armed forces were killed, including army chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi and IRGC Commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour.
The judiciary ensures that Iranian laws are strictly enforced according to syariah law and the Constitution. The Guardian Council comprises clerics, who are appointed by the Supreme Leader, and the judiciary, serving as a gatekeeper in Iranian politics.
With Mr Khamenei killed, the Assembly of Experts, a publicly elected council consisting of 88 male clerics vetted by the Guardian Council, will appoint the next supreme leader.
Anticipating leadership decapitation campaigns, Mr Khamenei and other key leaders are believed to have appointed several replacements in the event of their deaths. The fact that he was in his compound during the attack and the regime’s admission of his death suggest he might have opted for martyrdom.
Iran is currently led by an interim leadership council comprising President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i and Guardian Council member Alireza Arafi.
Mr Khamenei’s second-eldest son Mojtaba Khamenei, 55, is seen as a key contender for the position, with some reports claiming he has already been elected as the next Supreme Leader.
Will Iranians rise to demand regime change? It remains unclear.
The Iranian leadership has faced strong dissent in recent years, with the economy and the regime’s ultra-conservative religious policies being strong pressure points.
In a video posted by Mr Trump on his Truth Social platform soon after the US-Israeli air attacks began, he called on the people of Iran to take over their government.
“To the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand, stay sheltered, don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere,” the US President said.
When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the notion that Iran’s regime change is both desirable and attainable – a stance that he has held for a long time.
The Israeli government has also signalled its intention to spur a regime change, warning that the next Supreme Leader picked by the “Iranian terror regime… will be an unequivocal target for elimination”.
However, it remains unclear whether large numbers of Iranians will mobilise to challenge what remains of the ruling establishment. Iran does not have an organised opposition to lead a smooth transition into a new political order that will be acceptable to the US and Israel.
Iranians are divided on their political views, with those seeking a political transformation united only in their opposition to the regime and not on what should replace it, with possibilities ranging from restoration of the monarchy to establishing a democratic system.
Others, however, are rallying around the regime after the attacks.
Mr Khamenei’s killing and the death of hundreds in Iran during the initial US-Israeli air strikes sparked a wave of protests and public mourning in Iran. The Supreme Leader, who was revered as a spiritual authority by Shi’ite Muslims worldwide, was mourned in countries with large Shi’ite populations such as Pakistan and India.
Surveys from 2021 to 2025 show the highest support among respondents for “regime change as a precondition for change” in Iran.
At the same time, the surveys revealed a lack of clear consensus on what political system should replace the regime if it were overturned.
Opinions were divided, with some supporting a monarchy, others favouring a secular republic, and many remaining uncertain.
It is also not clear if regime change will remain the goal of the US if the Iranian regime proves to be resilient and clings on to power. Since the war started, US officials have cited other reasons to justify the war, such as preventing Iran from proceeding with nuclear enrichment activities, and that a pre-emptive strike to destroy Iran’s missile and other military capabilities was necessary as Iran was planning an attack on the US’ interests in the region.
The Trump administration has come under strong criticism in the US given President Trump’s electoral promise to take the US out of all wars, with polls indicating that just around a quarter of the population supports the attack. Mr Trump’s critics have referred to the war as a “war of choice”, and raised questions and concerns over its legality and goals.
While there is no clear sign of the war ending, the outcome of the fight may depend on which side runs out of munitions first.
Iran has been leaning on Shahed drones to penetrate US defences. The Shahed-136, developed by a company associated with the IRGC, is cheap to produce and can act like a guided missile towards a predetermined target.
Each drone is estimated to cost between US$20,000 (S$25,500) and US$50,000, and is significantly cheaper than the US$4 million Patriot missiles the US uses to intercept these drones.