How was Iran’s power structure constructed and how did its architects survive?
The Islamic Republic is at a critical juncture as the war against Iran intensifies after the killing of Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei in a US and Israeli attack. Mojtaba Khamenei was elected supreme leader, making him an unusual and controversial successor. This commentator details how Iran’s power structure was constructed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Ruhollah Khomeini, and how Ali Khamenei transformed that revolution into a complex political and security structure.
We examine how the supreme leader sits above all institutions in Iran and shapes decision-making across the government, military, and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and how this system is designed to outlive a single leader. As Mojtaba Khamenei rises to power, questions are growing about how Iran will be governed, how the Revolutionary Guards will influence decision-making, and whether the system Ali Khamenei has built can withstand both internal pressure and external enemies.
From Ali Khamenei to Mojtaba Khamenei, this is the story of Iran’s supreme leader, the system behind Iranian power, and what happens next.
Published March 20, 2026
