The clerical body that will choose Iran's next supreme leader, succeeding the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has more or less reached a majority consensus. The following explains how power is meant to operate in the Islamic Republic, how a new supreme leader can be chosen, some of the main candidates, and how the U.S. and Israeli attacks have changed the equation:What is Iran's 'Supreme Leader'? The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had long been expected to play a central role behind the scenes in determining Khamenei's successor. Unlike the ordinary military, which comes under the elected president, the guards answer only to the supreme leader. The president appoints a government that handles daily policy within parameters permitted by the supreme leader.

Source: The Telegraph March 08, 2026 11:22 UTC