With a host of top figures killed in war, who is now running Iran?

A Reuters analysis details the shifting power dynamics in Iran following a series of US-Israeli strikes that began on February 28, 2026, which killed veteran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a host of other top Revolutionary Guards commanders. Despite these decapitating blows, the Islamic Republic's ruling system has demonstrated a resilient capacity to continue strategizing and operating. This endurance is attributed to the complex, layered power structure born from the 1979 revolution, which is buttressed by a deep-seated, collective commitment to the survival of the theocratic state rather than dependence on a small cadre of individuals.

The report focuses on the critical question of who now wields authority. The new Supreme Leader is Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late leader, who has formally inherited the extensive powers of the office, known as the *bayt*. This office traditionally shadows all government bureaucracy, allowing for direct intervention across the state. However, Mojtaba lacks the decades of religious and political capital that granted his father "unquestioning obedience." Described as the choice of the powerful Revolutionary Guards, the new leader may consequently be beholden to this hardline military corps, suggesting a potential shift in the balance of power within Iran's depleted but persistent hierarchy.