Squiz Today Squiz Shortcuts: Iran after Khamenei
Mar 3, 2026
They unpack the significance of Iran's supreme leadership change and who might fill the role next. They explore the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s proxy networks across the region. They discuss internal repression, protests and the Assembly of Experts’ role in selecting a successor. They consider possible regional fallout and how global markets and everyday life could be affected.
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Khamenei Was One Of Only Two Post-Revolution Leaders
- Iran has had only two supreme leaders since 1979, making Khamenei's 36-year rule unusually long and stabilising for a volatile region.
- Khamenei rose from religious student to president then supreme leader after 1989, consolidating power within Iran's theocratic system.
Tape Recorder Bomb Shaped Khamenei's Outlook
- Khamenei survived a 1981 assassination attempt when a bomb hidden in a tape recorder exploded and left him permanently paralysed in his right arm.
- Hosts link that near-death experience and the 1980s Iran–Iraq war to his later paranoia and reliance on military strength.
IRGC Fueled Iran's Regional Proxy Network
- Khamenei used the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to project power regionally by funding proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas in the Axis of Resistance.
- This proxy network let Iran attack rivals such as Israel and the US without direct conventional deployments.