Iran's Supreme Leader Is Dead, Now What? Inside Iran's Post-Strike Power Vacuum w/ Former CIA Officers Tony DeMario and Glenn Corn

The Supreme Leader is dead — now what happens next? 👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ Get the daily intelligence brief Glenn and Ryan read — covering Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, the Middle East, geopolitics, sanctions, and military operations. This is ROUND 2 w/ Tony DeMario who spent 30+ years on Iran and regional proxies at CIA. After the decapitation strikes. After Operation Epic Fury and Operation Lion's Roar. After U.S. and Israeli forces eliminated Iran's Supreme Leader and dozens of senior IRGC officials. Tony DeMario returns to break down what comes next. Tony is a former senior CIA officer with 34 years in the Army and Agency, specializing in Iran, counterterrorism, and Iranian regional proxies. He currently serves as Executive Vice President at Strider Technologies, a strategic intelligence firm focused on geopolitical risk and nation-state competition. This episode goes beyond headlines. We discuss the collapse of Iran's leadership structure, succession risks, proxy retaliation, Russia's angle, China's oil calculus, and whether regime change is even realistic. 🎙️ In this episode, we cover: • The strategic impact of killing Iran's Supreme Leader • Why this is historically unprecedented • Whether Iran's security apparatus can reconstitute • Hezbollah and proxy retaliation risks • The role of Russia in prolonging instability • China's oil dependency on Iran • Succession scenarios inside Tehran • Whether Reza Pahlavi is viable (spoiler: unlikely) • Why "nation building" is not on the table • The risk of Libya- or Iraq-style fragmentation • What sustained U.S. strikes would look like • The danger of premature celebration Tony explains why: • Decapitation alone doesn't equal regime collapse• Infrastructure destruction matters more than leadership removal• Iran's bureaucracy is deeper than many realize• Russia benefits from U.S. distraction• This is the weakest Iran has been in decades — but that doesn't guarantee stability Just clear-eyed analysis of a historic moment. ⏱ TIMELINE / CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 03:00 The Decapitation Strategy 10:00 IRGC & MOIS Reconstitution 16:00 Hezbollah & Proxy Threat 22:00 Russia's Incentives 29:00 China & Oil Calculus 35:00 Succession & Assembly of Experts 41:00 Could Iran Fragment? 48:00 What Nation Building Would Require 55:00 Final Assessment Tony DeMario is a former senior CIA officer with 34 years of service in the Army and Agency. He led teams focused on Iran, counterterrorism, and Iranian proxy networks across the Middle East. He currently serves as Executive Vice President at Strider Technologies, a strategic intelligence firm specializing in geopolitical risk and state-backed economic threats. Strider Technologies: https://www.striderintel.com/ Tony DeMario on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-demario/ Glenn Corn is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and multiple-time Chief of Station. Institute of World Politics – Faculty Profile https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/ Great South Bay Consulting https://greatsouthbayinc.com/ Subscribe and receive the daily intel brief: https://www.restrictedhandling.com/