Iran's Leadership Vacuum: Who Will Succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?

• Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death creates a leadership vacuum in Iran after nearly four decades as Supreme Leader.
• US President Donald Trump called it an opportunity for Iranians, but a change in governance isn't guaranteed.
• Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son, is a potential successor with ties to the IRGC, despite not being on a reported shortlist.
• Mojtaba faces constitutional hurdles due to lack of formal political experience and the Shia tradition against hereditary rule.
• Khamenei himself reportedly blocked investigations into Mojtaba's leadership potential to avoid perceptions of hereditary rule.