Despite massive US attack and death of Ayatollah, regime change in Iran is unlikely
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Despite a massive US and Israeli attack killing Iran's leader, regime change is unlikely, with a new hardline leadership expected.
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Despite a massive US and Israeli military assault on Iran on February 28, 2026, which reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, regime change in Tehran is unlikely. Veteran diplomat Donald Heflin argues that popular uprisings are difficult against a heavily armed regime, and the US has a poor history of encouraging such actions without follow-through. While the attacks aim to destabilize the leadership, Iran's deep revolutionary structure, particularly the Revolutionary Guards, means a new hardline leadership is more probable than a compliant one. This suggests a prolonged period of instability and continued challenges for US policy in the region.
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During Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to Washington, Donald #Trump was asked why #US allies - including #Japan - were not involved in talks regarding strikes in #Iran before they happened. Trump said the reason was surprise, before asking why Japan hadn’t warned of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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