Israel’s attack on Iran begins with a strike near Khamenei’s offices; who are his likely replacements if he is killed?

Israel-Iran War: Israel launched an attack on Saturday (February 28, 2026) on Iran's capital, Tehran, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city's downtown. The first apparent strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reports. The strikes were reported by Iranian media nationwide.

The United States is participating in the strikes, news agency AP reported, citing a U.S. official and a person familiar with the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military operations. At the time of filing this report, the full extent of American involvement remained unclear, and the White House declined to comment immediately.

It also wasn’t immediately clear whether the 86-year-old Khamenei was in his offices at the time. He hasn’t been seen publicly in days as tensions with the United States have grown. The attack comes as the United States has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.


Roads to Khamenei's compound in downtown Tehran had been shut down by authorities as other blasts rang out across the capital. Targets in the Israeli campaign included Iran's military, symbols of government, and intelligence targets, AP reported, citing an official briefed on the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic information on the attack.

Witnesses in Tehran reported hearing the first explosion near the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television later confirmed the blast but did not specify its cause. Authorities subsequently closed the country’s airspace, and mobile phone services were disrupted. The alert to pilots was issued as further explosions echoed across Tehran, Iran’s capital.

The latest strikes against Iran come months after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that assassinating Khamenei would "end the conflict" between the two arch-foes. "It's not going to escalate the conflict; it's going to end the conflict," Netanyahu told ABC News in an interview in June 2025 when he was asked about reports that US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader out of concern it would intensify the Iran-Israel showdown, according to news agency AFP.

Khamenei, 86, has ruled Iran for 35 years, according to IranWire. He has apparently wielded ultimate authority over all crucial matters, from nuclear policy to domestic crackdowns. His killing would likely trigger the most significant political transition in the Islamic Republic's history.

If Khamenei is killed and a succession process unfolds in Iran, the question of his replacement would arise. Here are a few figures likely to emerge as leading contenders.

Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri

Considered as one of the most controversial potential successors, Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri represents the most conservative wing of Iran's religious establishment, according to IranWire. Born in Qom in 1961, Mirbagheri heads the Islamic Sciences Academy and is a member of the Assembly of Experts, the body constitutionally responsible for selecting the supreme leader.

His political profile rose significantly during Iran's 2024 presidential election when he garnered public prominence with his inflammatory speeches and open support for hardline candidate Saeed Jalili.

Mirbagheri's worldview fuses apocalyptic religious beliefs with uncompromising political positions. According to IranWire, he rejects Western development models as "100% contrary to Islam" and advocates coercive measures to enforce religious observance, particularly regarding women's dress codes. He dismissed the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests as "Western-inspired sedition."

Hassan Ameli



Hassan Ameli was born in Ardabil in 1962. He is the city's Friday prayer leader and represents Ardabil province in the Assembly of Experts. His educational background includes classical seminary training under prominent figures like Naser Makarem Shirazi and Jafar Sobhani, credentials that establish his authority within fundamentalist circles.

Ameli's political philosophy emphasizes the divine nature of leadership, arguing that "the position of leadership in our society is not a social position but rather a divine position," as quoted by IranWire. According to him, leadership can determine "honor or humiliation, rise or fall, and ascent or descent of a nation."

Ahmad Hosseini Khorasani



Born in 1959 in Shirvan's Fajrabad district, Ahmad Hosseini Khorasani is known to maintain the lowest public profile while commanding significant institutional power, IranWire reported. He represents the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi in the Assembly of Experts and is one of the Guardian Council's jurists.

Educated in the seminaries of Qom and a member of the Society of Seminary Teachers, his career reflects the traditional progression through Iran’s religious hierarchy. In September 2021, he joined the jurisprudential body of the Guardian Council through a direct appointment by Ali Khamenei.

Khorasani maintains that "trust and confidence in the West is doomed to failure," arguing that Iran’s challenges should be addressed through "authority in diplomacy and reliance on domestic capability," rather than through negotiations with the US or Europe.

Alireza Arafi



Born in the ancient city of Meybod, Alireza Arafi, 66, rose through the hierarchy of Iran's theocratic system by securing crucial appointments that positioned him as one of the most influential figures in the country's religious establishment.

According to IranWire, he has served as Friday prayer leader of Qom and as director of seminaries nationwide. He is also one of the jury members on the Guardian Council, the powerful body that vets candidates for public office and ensures laws comply with Islamic principles.

Mohammad Reza Modarresi Yazdi



Born in 1955, Mohammad Reza Modarresi Yazdi represents Khorasan Razavi in the Assembly of Experts and is the interim Friday prayer leader in Yazd, according to IranWire. His studies under Morteza Motahhari and Hossein Vahid Khorasani got him in touch with the Larijani family.