Larijani’s death removes key pillar of regime. Will it be enough to make Iran collapse?

Meir Ben-Shabbat: His status and influence extended far beyond any formal position he had. Since Khamenei’s death. Larijani managed the fight against Israel and served as the chief coordinator of Iran’s security bodies.

Right now, it’s not at all clear who’s running things. Khamenei’s son Mojtaba was selected as Iran’s third supreme leader, but he is believed to have been injured in the airstrike that killed his father, and hasn’t been seen since.

The strikes continue the process of severing and dismantling the chain of ideological, political, and operational command and control of the Iranian regime, placing it in an unprecedented crisis.

Published in Times Of Israel, March  18, 2026.