Ali Larijani was the head of Iran's Security Council and a key voice in the ear of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Gholamreza Soleimani was the head of the Basij militia. Both were pillars of Iran's security apparatus. If they have indeed been taken out, the question is who replaces them, and will they take Iran down an even more hardline path?

The death of Iran's key figure Ali Larijani raises more questions than answers.

First, Israel says it has killed him in an air strike, but Tehran has yet to confirm or deny.

While Israel and the United States rejoice and call on the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow what is left of their Islamic leadership, the reality on the ground is less certain. The systematic killing of the leaders of Iran since February 28 has created a vacuum in Tehran.

The fear among analysts is that the space will be filled by regime insiders who will be hardened and more radical.

Larijani was the lead negotiator at the now aborted talks to find a peaceful way forward.

Following the death of the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – to whom he was a close adviser, some say the de facto leader – some in Washington saw Larijani as a good fit for successor; a man they could perhaps do business with.

Who comes next? What could this mean for the war? And how might it affect the other groups in the region that take their lead from Iran's leadership?

Two key figures of Iranian leadership killed: Who's next?

The Debate

Two key figures of Iranian leadership killed: Who's next?