A Cornered Iran, Euthanasia in New York, and the A.I. Job Apocalypse

Tipping Point Quick Hits (06.19.25)

The Danger of a Desperate Khamenei

Much of the discussion about the escalating war between Iran and Israel has been about missile attacks, airstrikes and the question of whether or not the United States will get involved. What I haven’t seen much about is how Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei might respond outside the Middle East.

Right now he is fighting for the survival of his regime. Israel controls the skies over Iran. Mossad clearly has assets on the ground. His allies, Hamas and Hezbollah, are weaker than they’ve ever been. Syria’s leadership has fallen. Allies like Vladimir Putin are distracted by Ukraine, and Xi Jinping of China is urging de-escalation. Over the past week, some of his closest aids and military commanders have been killed.

This is an existential crisis for Khamenei, who is 86 years old. Right now, his country has been battered by Israel’s air force and he is waiting to find out if the United States will intervene and make things even worse. (The U.S. seems to be preparing for a strike over the next few days.)

His grip on the Islamic Republic is possibly at its weakest in decades.