February 28, 2026
Who comes next in Iran’s leadership succession? Karim Sadjadpour says “almost everyone” inside both Iranian society and the regime is waiting for 86-year-old Ayatollah Khamenei to die. Even elements of the Revolutionary Guards know “this status quo is not tenable,” but fear of surveillance and repression makes any internal coup too risky —for now.
That raises a bigger question: does Khamenei’s looming succession make external military action more tempting or more dangerous? Sadjadpour calls it a “51-49” decision. “Military attack is a gamble,” he warns.
More For You
Iran’s regime has survived the war, but ordinary Iranians are still living with fear, repression, and a collapsing economy. Yeganeh Torbati joins Ian Bremmer to explain what comes next for the people inside Iran.
Most Popular
Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.
US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alongside the NATO leaders summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
US President Donald Trump said he would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air-defense missiles during the NATO meeting in Turkey on Wednesday, fulfilling a longstanding request from Kyiv.
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte arrives before the start of her impeachment trial hearing at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 7, 2026.
REUTERS/Noel Celis/Pool
The Senate trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has turned a family feud into a fight over the Philippines’ political future — and its place between the US and China.
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.