CIA Assess:  Hardline IRGC Elements Would Replace Khamenei Now.

Washington DC / Tehran; March 2026: During the course of the attacks on Iran, a while before the killing of the Supreme Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had forecasted that hardline figures from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is going to step into the shoes of the Iranian leader. The agency (CIA) for the past few days were reiterating on the fact at what could occur in Iran following a U.S. intervention and the extent to which a military operation could trigger regime change in the Islamic Republic, which was a pronounced objective for Washington.

The IRGC is an elite military force whose purpose is to protect Shi’ite Muslim clerical rule in Iran. The intelligence agency reports although did not conclude any scenario with certainty, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

President Donald Trump has for weeks signalled the U.S. was interested in seeing regime change in Iran, but has not given in any detail Washington’s thinking on who could lead the country. In an early morning video address yesterday morning (AST), Trump described Tehran as a “terrorist regime” and encouraged the Iranian people to take over the government, saying the U.S. military strikes would set the stage for an uprising.

The U.S. and Israeli assault comes after weeks of deliberation inside the U.S. government about whether to strike Iran following the deadly protests that broke out there in December. U.S. officials in recent weeks have tried to strike a nuclear deal with Tehran in an attempt to stave off intervention.

In a briefing last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told top congressional lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight that a U.S. operation would likely move forward, but that Trump could change his mind, particularly if nuclear negotiations were successful. Those talks in Geneva did not result in an agreement. Rubio had notified the Gang of Eight on Friday (27th February) night (AST) that the operation to attack Iran was likely to commence in the following hours.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the episonage several Iranian’s took to the street protesting against Israel-US attacks, and the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Revolutionary Guard mourns ‘great leader’ Khamenei; “We have lost a great leader and we are mourning him, a leader who was unique in in terms of purity of spirit, strength of faith, resourcefulness in affairs, courage in the face of the arrogant, and jihad in the path of God”, a statement from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.

The Iranian regime has announced a 40 days of public mourning across Iran, state media report.

Team Maverick.