New Delhi, March 1 -- The latest Israeli and US war on Iran reportedly began with airstrikes on the home and offices of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The apparent assumption was that Khamenei's sudden removal would fatally weaken the Iranian political system. The logic resembled the collapses seen in Libya after Muammar al-Qaddafi and in Syria after Bashar al-Assad, where the state unravelled once the central figure was removed. In those cases, political order was deeply personal and closely tied to a single ruler.

Iran, however, is structured differently. Few contemporary states place as much visible authority in one office as Iran does in that of the supreme leader. Religious legitimacy, command of the armed forces, and final political ...