Iran's Supreme Leader Killed in Strike

Ali Khamenei was the second person to hold the title of Supreme Leader since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The position was created for the revolution's architect, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who held the title from 1979 until his death in 1989. Khamenei’s own path to power was not immediate. He served as Iran's president for two terms from 1981 to 1989. He was selected as Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts upon Khomeini's death, becoming the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East with a tenure of over 36 years. The responsibility of choosing Khamenei's successor falls to the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of Islamic jurists. While the assembly is elected, all candidates are first vetted by the Guardian Council, whose members are appointed directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader himself. Until the Assembly of Experts appoints a new leader, a provisional council will assume the duties of the office. This temporary council is comprised of the current president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the judiciary, and a cleric from the Guardian Council. The Supreme Leader holds immense power, acting as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and having the final say on all major state policies, including foreign and domestic affairs. The leader also appoints the heads of the judiciary, state media, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). While no successor has been officially named, potential candidates have long been discussed. These have included Khamenei's second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, and Hassan Khomeini, a grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.