The death of Ali Khamenei in an Israeli missile strike has triggered a political earthquake inside Iran, with analysts warning the country could be approaching a historic turning point.

For 37 years the supreme leader dominated Iran’s political and religious system. His sudden killing in Tehran has left the Islamic republic scrambling to maintain control while protests, war and leadership uncertainty converge.

Some observers now compare the moment to the collapse of the Fall of the Berlin Wall — a shock that suddenly exposed the fragility of an entrenched regime.

The Man Who Held the System Together

Khamenei, 86, stood at the top of Iran’s system of Velayat-e Faqih — clerical rule established after the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

As supreme leader, he held the final say on nearly every major decision: nuclear negotiations with the US, relations with Israel, social restrictions and responses to domestic dissent.

Critics say his rigid stance on reform and foreign policy helped push the country toward confrontation with both Washington and Tel Aviv.

A Power Vacuum Opens in the Middle of War

Khamenei’s death has created a dangerous leadership vacuum just as Iran faces external attack and internal unrest.

His son Mojtaba Khamenei is widely seen as a leading contender to succeed him, though the process is formally controlled by the Assembly of Experts.

But even that transition is unfolding under extraordinary pressure. The clerical body reportedly met remotely rather than at its headquarters in Qom after the city was struck during the bombardment.

Regime Tightens Grip as Fear Shifts

Inside the country, the authorities are scrambling to maintain order.

Security forces have reportedly fired live rounds after anti-regime chants were heard in neighbourhoods across Tehran. Members of the hardline Basij militia have been patrolling streets broadcasting pro-government slogans.

Meanwhile, detainees from the notorious Evin Prison have been moved amid fears the facility could become a target.

Collapse or Reinvention?

Some analysts argue the Islamic republic could unravel without Khamenei’s personal authority holding rival factions together.

Others believe the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may step forward to stabilise the system — possibly by softening domestic repression while rallying nationalist sentiment against foreign attacks.

Either way, Iran now faces a defining question: whether the death of the man who ruled it for nearly four decades marks the start of regime collapse — or the beginning of its next, more volatile phase.

‘End of an era’: Death of Khamenei seen as Iran’s Berlin Wall moment

The death of Stalin was followed by the Cuban Missile Crisis.

It is worth considering why the 35 year old USSR survived the death of Stalin, but didn't survive the fall of Gorbachev.