The current Iranian political system has spent 47 years under the shadow of the charismatic figure who shaped its course: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, its founder and first Supreme Leader (1979-1989). Often defined as the “regime of the ayatollahs” — Khomeini enshrined clerical authority over state decisions — the Islamic Republic is an autocracy that has continued to function throughout the 40-day war, even after Israel and the United States killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. And it continues to do so while his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains at large. According to speculation, Khamenei may be wounded or even incapacitated.

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The more observant residents of the Corniche el-Mazraa neighborhood in downtown Beirut know where to look. Where a residential tower once stood, now only a gaping hole remains, as if a button had caused the ground beneath the structure to vanish. The walls of the neighboring buildings are charred or have collapsed. Against this backdrop, dozens of soldiers, paramedics, firefighters, and construction workers continue their rescue efforts. Others, like Ziad, are resuming their daily lives despite the escalation of violence recently unleashed by the Israeli army, which has left dozens dead right outside his shop. “That’s it, let them kill us all as soon as possible,” he said Thursday from behind the counter. “But I’d rather be killed in my own neighborhood.”

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