Iran faces power struggle as Khamenei’s successor remains undecided

(CNN) — The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States and Israel has created a power vacuum in the core of the Iranian regime and sparked the complex process of finding his successor.

The Islamic Republic has only replaced its supreme leader once since it swept to power nearly half a century ago. Khamenei, who succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, was killed without an officially declared heir.

A three-person council was formed Sunday to hold power until Khamenei’s successor is chosen. But with the US-Israeli strikes ongoing, there is no indication of how long that might take.

Here’s what to know.

Who’s in charge right now?

Under Iran’s constitution, a three-person leadership council holds power until the new supreme leader is named. It includes the moderate president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the hard-line head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and a senior cleric, Alireza Arafi.

The powerful speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the regime had “prepared ourselves for these moments” and “planned for all scenarios.”<...