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** Special Edition
February 28, 2026
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Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike today, according to US and Israeli officials.

President Donald Trump celebrated Khamenei's death in a Truth Social post.

Iranian officials deny that Khamenei is dead, and say he is still commanding the field.

What might a post-Khamenei Iran look like? How might it affect the other countries in the region?

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Don’t Hold Your Breath on Iranian Democracy
By Alex Madajian
Contributing Fellow, Defense Priorities

Iran’s ethnic composition and political divisions suggest that a post-Islamic Republic environment would not be hospitable to liberal democracy. Read the full article here ([link removed]) .
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How US Strikes on Iran Can Aid the Protest Movement
By Janatan Sayeh
Iran Analyst, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

US and Israeli strikes on Iran should actively degrade the regime’s ability to kill protesters—including by directly targeting the Basij troops working to suppress them. Read the full article here ([link removed]) .
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How China Hardened the Iran Target Before the American Attack
By James D. Durso
Managing Director, Corsair LLC
Retired US Navy Officer

China needs to protect its strategic cooperation agreement with Iran, so the superpower is selling military hardware and providing military intelligence. How else will it help? Read the full article here ([link removed]) .
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The Day After Khamenei: Iran’s ‘Liberation’ Will Begin as an IRGC Power Struggle
By Charbel Antoun
Journalist

The IRGC controls the regime’s security forces, intelligence services, and economic networks, making it the most likely actor to dominate Iran’s immediate post-Khamenei transition. Read the full article here ([link removed]) .
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How US Strikes on Iran Could Destabilize Pakistan
By Eldar Mamedov
Political Advisor for the Social Democrats, Foreign Affairs Committee, European Parliament

Pakistan is already facing an insurgency in Balochistan and terrorist attacks from within Afghanistan. Read the full article here ([link removed]) .
Click here to read more thoughtful news and analysis in The National Interest. ([link removed])

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