CIA Assessed IRGC Likely to Succeed Khamenei if Killed Ahead of US-Israel Strikes

Prior to recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran, the CIA assessed that if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were killed, hardline figures from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would likely replace him. These intelligence reports, produced over the past two weeks, did not confirm any scenario with certainty. The US has expressed interest in regime change in Iran, with President Trump encouraging an uprising, while nuclear negotiations with Tehran recently failed to prevent potential military action.