Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not only picked replacements in his chain of military command in case they are killed in Israeli strikes, he has also named three senior clerics to replace him should he, too,

J UST OVER a week ago it seemed as if Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, might be part of a breakthrough with America. Talks involving the two countries were approaching decision-hour. The Americans were offering to lift sanctions in exchange for Iran rolling back its nuclear programme.