I have been mulling over this thing for a while.

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Khamenei senior was 86 years old, statistically unlikely to live much longer. By this point, he may even have been little more than a figurehead, with his son and presumed successor already running much of the system behind the scenes.

If so, one could imagine that he faced two possible paths:

1. Spend a few more quiet and largely unremarkable years at home.

2. Die as a martyr in a confrontation with “the Great Satan.”

It is not hard to imagine that the second option might have appealed to him more, especially given the cultural and political significance that martyrdom holds within parts of Islamic tradition and revolutionary rhetoric in Iran.

His death, in that sense, could transform him into a powerful symbol for supporters to rally around.

It almost brings to mind the famous line by Obi-Wan Kenobi: “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”