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By Hollie Silverman
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Iran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a senior cleric and member of the Guardian Council, to a three-member interim leadership council that was formed on Sunday after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel the day prior.
The council also includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and was established under Article 111 of Iran’s constitution.
Iranian officials formed the transitional body after Khamenei's death, triggering a succession process that places the council in charge until the Assembly of Experts selects a new supreme leader, Al Jazeera reported.
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The Expediency Discernment Council confirmed Arafi’s appointment to the interim body, according to its spokesman, Mohsen Dehnavi, the AFP reported.
The Context
Arafi’s elevation placed a longtime insider of Iran’s clerical establishment at the center of a rare leadership transition in the Islamic Republic, which has experienced only one previous transfer of supreme leadership since 1979.
The interim council’s moves could shape Iran’s domestic stability and responses amid escalating regional hostilities after Khamenei’s death.
Arafi’s institutional roles—ranging from the Guardian Council to senior seminary leadership—signaled continuity within Iran’s clerical power structure while the Assembly of Experts prepared to choose a permanent successor.
His background and influence inside key religious-legal bodies made him a pivotal figure in managing a sensitive handover, Al Jazeera reported.
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What To Know
Article 111 of Iran’s constitution authorizes a temporary leadership council to carry out the supreme leader’s duties until the Assembly of Experts selects a successor.
The Expediency Discernment Council approved Arafi as the clerical member of the interim body, with spokesman Mohsen Dehnavi stating on X that it “has elected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as a member of the interim leadership council.”
Arafi has served on the 12-member Guardian Council since 2019, the body that vets legislation and election candidates for conformity with Islamic and constitutional standards.
He also served as deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, led Friday prayers in Qom, and oversaw Iran’s nationwide seminary system, according to Al Jazeera.
What Happened to Khamenei?
The U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes across Iran in “Operation Epic Fury” early Saturday morning, with the Islamic Republic launching retaliatory strikes across U.S. bases in the Middle East.
The attacks mark a sharp escalation following recent nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran and raise the risk of a wider regional conflict. Iran has repeatedly denied pursuing a nuclear weapon and had engaged in diplomatic talks with the U.S. only days earlier to prevent military conflict.
Khamenei was killed in the strikes at his compound in Tehran, ending nearly four decades of his rule and triggering the constitutional succession mechanism.
Other top Iranian leaders and officials were also killed in the strikes, with Iranian authorities vowing retaliation after Khamenei’s killing.
What People Are Saying
Mohsen Dehnavi, spokesman for the Expediency Council, wrote on X on Sunday: “The Expediency Discernment Council has elected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as a member of the interim leadership council.”
President Donald Trump said in an interview with The Atlantic on Sunday about talking with Iran's new leader: “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.... Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big—that was a big hit."
What Happens Next
The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body, must select a new supreme leader “as soon as possible” while the interim council carries out the office’s functions, according to Article 111.
The balance of power inside Iran’s security establishment—particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—remains a focus as the country manages succession and security challenges.
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