Iran has appointed Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as interim supreme leader following the confirmed death of long-time leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, state media reported.
Arafi, a senior cleric and member of the powerful Guardian Council, was selected by the Expediency Discernment Council to serve on a three-member interim leadership council. Alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Arafi will temporarily assume the duties of the supreme leader under Article 111 of Iran’s constitution.
The council’s role is to govern the country and manage state affairs while the Assembly of Experts — an 88-member clerical body — prepares to elect a permanent successor “as soon as possible.”
Arafi, 67, has long held influential clerical positions, including membership in the Guardian Council and leadership roles in Iran’s religious institutions. Analysts say his interim appointment reflects an effort to maintain institutional stability amid heightened regional tensions.
The interim leadership comes at a critical moment, with Iran facing both internal uncertainty and escalating geopolitical conflict following Khamenei’s death. The timing for the selection of a permanent supreme leader remains unclear, but Tehran has pledged to adhere to constitutional procedures.
