Analysts Size Up Iran's Future: Economy in Freefall and No Clear Successor to Khamenei

Al Arabiya—Iran's economy was already under severe strain before the conflict, and analysts say the war has dramatically accelerated its deterioration, with currency collapse, unemployment, and infrastructure damage compounding. Long-form analysts are examining what Iran looks like after Supreme Leader Khamenei — aging with no publicly confirmed successor — and whether the state can absorb such shocks without fracturing. Some argue a 'three-body problem' of factional competition within the clerical establishment makes a smooth post-Khamenei transition extremely unlikely.

• Al Arabiya — Iran's crumbling economy identified as the more immediate threat to regime stability than military losses
• n+1 — Factional competition within the regime described as a three-body problem with no stable equilibrium
• Boston Review — Essay examines who could lead Iran after Khamenei and whether the state can survive the transition