Iran’s Splintered Opposition Waits in Shadows for Collapse of Regime

This is a breakdown of what we know about the Iranian regime, the succession to Ali Khamenei, and the opposition groups hoping to take over.

Pedestrians walk in front of a mural showing late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini (R), Iranian leader Ali Khamenei (L), and the Basij paramilitary force, in downtown Tehran, Iran, on May 12, 2016. Vahid Salemi/AP Photo

Iran and Israel have been at war since June 13, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched Operation Rising Lion to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

On June 19, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iranian leader Ali Khamenei “cannot be allowed to exist” after Iran fired a missile at a hospital in Be'er Sheva, Israel.