The absence of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei from the funeral ceremonies of Ali Khamenei raised questions about his health and fear of assassination, as well as indicating he may perform a quite different function as number one compared with his all-powerful father.
"The balance of power between the office of the supreme leader and the IRGC has shifted," he told AFP.
Brodsky described Mojtaba Khamenei as a "weaker leader" than his father but noted it took Ali Khamenei "years to consolidate his authority" after being named in 1989.