A prominent Iranian academic has warned that the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, could trigger major changes in the country’s military doctrine, particularly regarding the range of its missile program.
Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a Professor of English Literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, made the remarks in a post on his verified social media account, where he suggested that Khamenei had personally imposed limits on Iran’s missile capabilities.
According to him, the late Iranian leader had imposed restrictions that prevented Iran from developing missiles capable of traveling more than 2,000 kilometers.
“For years, Ayatollah Khamenei was the one who prevented Iran from producing missiles with a range exceeding 2,000 kilometers,” Marandi wrote. “After his martyrdom, the equations in Iran may undergo a major change. Trump made a big mistake.”
Iranian officials have previously acknowledged that the country has the technical capability to build longer-range missiles but deliberately kept the range capped at about 2,000 kilometers based on directives from the supreme leader.
Marandi’s comments come amid escalating tensions following reports that Khamenei was killed during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. The development has already raised fears of a broader regional confrontation and potential changes to Iran’s military doctrine.