1 hour ago
Last Updated:January 29, 2026, 07:06 IST
Marco Rubio said “no one knows” who would take over in Iran if Khamenei was removed, while defending a strengthened US military posture in the Middle East.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (File photo/AP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said “no one knows" who would take over in Iran if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were removed from power, warning lawmakers that such a scenario would be extraordinarily complex even as Washington strengthens its military posture in the Middle East amid rising tensions with Tehran.
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio raised the prospect of preemptive military action to protect American personnel and allied facilities in the region.
He also stressed that the internal structure of Iran’s ruling system makes any prediction about a post-Khamenei future highly uncertain.
NO ONE KNOWS WHAT COMES NEXT IN IRAN: RUBIO
Responding to questions about a possible post-regime scenario, Rubio said the outcome would be far from straightforward.
“That’s an open question," he told senators.
“No one knows what would take over."
He described Iran’s governance as divided between the supreme leader, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and “quasi-elected individuals" who, he said, ultimately must clear major decisions with the top cleric.
“I don’t think anyone can give you a simple answer to what happens next in Iran if the supreme leader and the regime were to fall, other than the hope that there would be some ability to have somebody within their systems that you could work towards a similar transition," Rubio said.
Emphasising how entrenched the current order is, he added, “I would imagine it would be even far more complex than the one we’re describing now because you’re talking about a regime that’s in place for a very long time, so that’s going to require a lot of careful thinking if that eventuality ever presents itself."
Rubio also defended the Trump administration’s decision to reinforce US military assets across the Middle East, including the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group to the US Central Command area.
He said the move was aimed at safeguarding more than 30,000 US service members stationed in the region.
“And so I think it’s wise and prudent to have a force posture within the region that could respond and potentially, not necessarily what’s going to happen, but if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region and our allies," Rubio told lawmakers.
While saying he hoped military action would not be required, Rubio argued Iran had accumulated the capability to strike US forces and partners.
He added that Tehran is “weaker than it has ever been," but still possesses “thousands and thousands" of long-range ballistic missiles built despite economic collapse.
His comments come as regional allies such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia brace for possible escalation following Iran’s crackdown on anti-regime protests and amid warnings from President Donald Trump that future US action could be “far worse" than previous strikes.
Iran, meanwhile, has cautioned that it would retaliate strongly against any aggression, while also signalling openness to negotiations.
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First Published:
January 29, 2026, 07:02 IST
News world 'No One Knows Who Takes Over If Khamenei Is Removed': Rubio Hints At Preemptive Strike Against Iran
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