Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 01 Mar 2026, 04:52 am Print
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi Ayatollah Alireza Arafi. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Iran has appointed Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to its interim leadership council, just hours after officially announcing the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike conducted by Israel and the US on Saturday in the Iranian territory.
In an X post, expediency council spokesman Mohsen Dehnavi was quoted as saying by the media: "The Expediency Discernment Council has elected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as a member of the interim leadership council."
According to reports, the council will also include President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.
The council will reportedly lead the country until the Assembly of Experts until a permanent leader is elected.
Who is Ayatollah Alireza Arafi?
Born in 1959, Arafi is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as a member of the Guardian Council since 2019, and a member of the Assembly of Experts since 2022.
He was long considered as a strong contender who would step into the shoes of Khamenei.
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