Adding to the turmoil surrounding Iran, Ali Larijani — a top Iranian politician and longtime emissary — has died at the age of 67. According to The New York Times, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had made Larijani the de facto leader of Iran in January, when nationwide protests engulfed the country.
Larijani’s death comes at a moment of extraordinary vulnerability for the Islamic Republic, which now faces both an internal leadership vacuum during civil unrest and external military pressure from the United States. His passing raises urgent questions about who will steer Iranian governance and diplomacy in the weeks ahead, particularly as Washington appears to be intensifying its military posture in the region.