U.S. intelligence officials say Iran’s leadership structure remains intact even after the reported killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pushing back on speculation that the country could face an immediate collapse or power vacuum. According to U.S. assessments, Iran’s governing system was built to withstand leadership shocks. The country’s political and military institutions, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the broader clerical establishment, are structured in a way that allows authority to transfer quickly if a top figure is removed. Officials say that built-in succession planning means the regime’s stability does not depend on a single leader. Analysts note that Iran’s leadership model is designed to maintain continuity through a network of religious authorities, political councils and security forces that collectively manage power. While the loss of a supreme leader would be a major symbolic and political event, intelligence officials say it would no...