What’s Next for Iran?

By Natalia Khodaverdi 

The people of Iran face a deep uncertainty towards the future of their country. Most of it lies in their regime after the death of their leader and the military actions prompted by The United States-Israel attacks. On February 28, 2026, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by air strikes launched by the United States and Israel. Khamenei had been serving since 1989, after the Iranian Revolution. So with this drastic change, what comes next? 

Khamnei’s death ignited many celebrations. To many, he was a dictator who punished people for expressing their views and speaking up against the government. Before his death, Khamenei ordered the police departments to stop the protests taking place against the Muslim regime by any means possible. Because of this, law enforcement took extreme measures and opened fire on all civilians who were protesting in the streets. 

While the New York Times were able to gather some videos through hacked systems, Iran’s blackout blocked citizens from sending videos of the horror they were experiencing to the news or outside sources. In these videos, you can hear “Death to Khamenei,” being chanted by the protestors and police riding around in their cars, firing at citizens. Still, even as there were people celebrating the death of this leader, there were also citizens who were mourning.

With Ali Khamenei’s death, Iranian citizens expected the regime to end, but this isn’t what happened. Government officials displayed AI-edited photos of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei passing the Iranian flag to his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the next leader of Iran. 

Even though Mojtaba is now placed in charge of Iran, multiple sources state that his father didn’t want him in charge, even writing this in his will. In an interview with Fox News following Khamenei’s death, Donald Trump said, “Their leadership is gone. Their second leadership is gone. Now their third leadership is in trouble, and this is not somebody that the father even wanted.” 

Since being appointed, Mojaba has not made an appearance in any videos or photos for fear that it may expose his location and encourage the threats on his life. Sources claim that his refusal is due to possible injuries sustained after the strikes that killed his father. Some politicians, including Vice President JD Vance, claim that he’s disfigured. Others say he’s dead. 

Mojtaba put these death claims to rest. On March 12, 2026, about two weeks after Ali’s death, Mojtaba Khamenei released his statement. He discussed how the country will continue to be ruled under the same regime that Iran has been under. He claimed he would avenge the death of Iranians killed by the US and Israeli air strikes. More than 175 citizens have been killed; including his father, wife, sister, and other family members. Mojtaba gave warnings to neighboring countries, pressuring them to help stop strikes launched by the United States. Sources were told, “We will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs,” in reference to The United States and Israel. 

Iran’s citizens fear for their lives. From the internet blackout to the massacres of peaceful civilian protestors, Iranians don't know what’s next for their country. For now, all they are left with is Ali Khamenei’s son as their leader, and the dictatorial regime continues.

References 

Beckerman, Gal. “The Atlantic.” The Atlantic, theatlantic, 3 Mar. 2026, www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/03/why-iranians-cried-over-ayatollah-khamenei /686218/. 

Farnaz Fassihi, Varghese, S., Browne, M., & Parin Behrooz. (2026, January 25). How Iran Crushed a Citizen Uprising With Lethal Force. The New York Times. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/world/middleeast/iran-how-crackdown-was -done.html 

Jacobs, Jennifer. “U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran’s Late Supreme Leader Was Wary of His Son Taking Power, Sources Say.” Cbsnews.com, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026,

www.cbsnews.com/news/us-intelligence-iran-supreme-leader-mojtaba-khamenei father-sources-say/. 

Torbati, Yeganeh, and Sanam Mahoozi. “Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s New Supreme Leader, Says Strait of Hormuz Must Remain Closed in Defiant Statement.” Nytimes.com, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026,

 www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/world/middleeast/khamenei-statement.html.