Iran may 'lash out harder' as Khamenei's death puts Tehran on a war footing, leaving the world bracing for what's next

In this article CAAS UAMY XOM SHEL-GB Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT TOPSHOT - A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) Afp | Getty Images The escalating conflict in the Middle East is fueling fears that Washington's pursuit of regime change in Iran, and Tehran's retaliation, could destabilize regions from the Gulf to Europe, leaving global leaders scrambling to assess the fallout. The U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran over the weekend, killing the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting waves of attacks by Tehran across the region. President Donald Trump made it clear in a video message Saturday following the initial wave of U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran that his objective was "eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people." Geopolitical analysts warned that Saturday's strikes could be the opening salvo of a sustained military campaign aimed at dismantling the Iranian regime, with the U.S. seeking to assert dominance over the world's most critical oil-producing region. "The scale of the strikes by the U.S. and Israel, along with the apparent goal of regime change in Iran, suggest the military conflict could escalate rapidly and unpredictably," said Rexon Ryu, President of The Asia Group, a business consultancy firm. "There is substantial immediate risk for regional and potentially global escalation, as Iran may now use any available option to respond." "The previous strikes were targeted at the nuclear weapons program," said David Silbey, a professor of military history at Cornell University, referring to the 12-day war in June last year when the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes that damaged three key Iranian nuclear sites. But "this one will be much broader, aimed at command and control, headquarters and leadership, and the military and secret police generally," said Silbey. "...