Khamenei Prepares for Martyrdom, Larijani Rises

For Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his assassination by the United States is merely a matter of time. If he and the Iranian leaders ultimately perish, Khamenei has prepared for the Iranian government to remain intact and for the United States and its allies to face appropriate retaliation.

The US attack on Iran is indeed not a matter of whether it will happen or not. If the attack occurs, Khamenei stated, the US and its allies will receive a blow that will make it difficult for them to recover.

In an interview with FoxNews, the U.S. Special Envoy for Peace, Steve Witkoff, revealed President Donald Trump's frustration regarding Iran. "He (Trump) is curious as to why they (Iran) have not... I do not want to use the word 'surrender,' but why have they not surrendered," said Witkoff.

"Why, under this pressure, with the number of naval and maritime forces present there, why do they not come to us and say, 'We declare that we do not want weapons, so here is what we are ready to do'? However, it is somewhat difficult to get them to that point," Witkoff continued regarding the deployment of US forces around Iran.

Military observer at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), Becca Wesser, said that US forces around Iran are now similar to those leading up to the invasion of Iraq in 1991 and 2003. "This massive increase in forces almost suggests that there needs to be an attack or this will be one of the most expensive bluffs in US history," she said as quoted by the Financial Times, Friday (20/2/2026).

With the potential for an attack, Iran continues to prepare, as reported by The New York Times on Sunday (February 22, 2026). "He (Khamenei) is preparing for martyrdom, thinking this is my system and legacy, and I will defend it until the end," said Vali Nasr, an Iranian diaspora who teaches at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SOAS) in the US.

He stated that Khamenei is distributing power. "Preparing the country for the next major event, whether succession or war, realizing that succession may come as a consequence of war," said Nasr.

A number of individuals have been appointed by Khamenei to continue the leadership succession in Iran in the event that he and several other high-ranking officials are killed by the US or Israel. Khamenei has prepared four layers of successors. Each prospective successor is asked to prepare the next candidate for succession.

Several parties have mentioned that former Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi is on the list of potential successors. General Safavi is currently serving as an Advisor to the Supreme Leader on Military Affairs. He is also the Chairman of the Defense Commission at the Iranian International Relations Council.

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, who is also a former IRGC officer, Brigadier General (Ret.) Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is also on the list. Ghalibaf has previously stated that all U.S. military assets in the region would be targeted for retaliation if Iran is attacked. He is said to be poised to become Khamenei's representative to control the military if a war with the U.S. breaks out.

Among all of them, the most prominent is Brigadier General (Ret.) Ali Larijani. The retired officer of the IRGC, who once served as the Chairman of the Parliament, is now the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. He effectively implements Iran's daily policies.

Together with Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Larijani is also in charge of the military. "We are clearly stronger than before; we have prepared ourselves over the last seven or eight months, we have identified our weaknesses and addressed them," Larijani told Aljazeera regarding Iran's actions following the US-Israel attack in June 2025.

The influence of Larijani is evident during the protests and the latest round of nuclear negotiations with Iran. Last January, Witkoff called Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi regarding plans for an attack on Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Witkoff told Araghchi, would order an attack if there were executions of protesters in Iran. Upon receiving this message, Araghchi contacted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian's response was that he was unaware of any executions and suggested contacting Larijani.

It is reasonable for Khamenei to have confidence in Larijani. Larijani's father, uncle, and brother are respected clerics in Iran. His brother, Javad, serves as one of the foreign policy advisors to Khamenei.

Together with his brother, Sadiq, Ali Larijani is now a member of the Council of Expediency. A total of 48 council members were appointed by the Supreme Leader of Iran.

Each member is tasked with conveying advice to the supreme leader. They also oversee all state institutions on behalf of the supreme leader.

Khamenei's trust in Larijani has been built over decades. With Khamenei's approval, Larijani served as the Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) from 1994 to 2004. In 2021, Khamenei assigned him to negotiate an economic agreement with China.

When Araghchi interacted with Witkoff, Larijani was assigned to Russia and other countries. He explained Iran's position to the leaders and audiences of those nations. Compared to Pezeshkian and other officials in Iran, Larijani is more frequently interviewed by the media.

"The Supreme Leader fully trusts Larijani. He believes that Larijani is the right person for this sensitive moment due to his political track record, intelligence, and knowledge," said Nasser Imani, a conservative analyst close to the Iranian Government.

"He (Khamenei) relies on Larijani for situation reports and pragmatic advice. Larijani's role will be very prominent during the war," Imani continued to The New York Times.

Nasr wrote, a US-Iran deal is nearly impossible to achieve. The US essentially demands Iran's complete disarmament without offering any compensation.

The US will maintain the series of sanctions that are hurting Iran and will continue to threaten to attack Iran.

Iran's diplomacy aims to stop this, not just to prevent war. On the other hand, Iran also knows that ultimately, war is inevitable.

Another issue is that leaders find it nearly impossible to trust the US leadership. Last June, amid the negotiation process, the US assisted Israel in attacking Iran. The US openly admitted to wanting to inflict suffering on Iran through a series of economic sanctions. The goal is to overthrow the Iranian government. It is impossible to build trust under such conditions.

Therefore, Nasr continued, what Tehran can do is prepare to mitigate the impacts of war. Iran, as stated by Khamenei last week, hopes that the United States will realize that war with Iran is very costly.

Iran has shown that after being attacked by the US-Israel in June 2025. For Iran, the result of the war was not defeat.

The United States-Israel has called for an end to the war after Iranian missiles and drones rained down on Israel. Iran's nuclear program can continue uninterrupted. This is evidenced by the demand for disarmament from the United States.

This time, Iran is preparing for a long and extensive war. Not only will it affect the US-Israel-Iran dynamics, but the war could also have repercussions for the region. (AP/AFP/REUTERS)