(Ayatollah Alireza Arafi)
Iran has established a temporary Leadership Council to govern the country following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli attack.
Foreign news agencies reported on 1 Mar 2026 GMT+7 that the Iranian government announced the formation of a "Leadership Council" to temporarily govern the country after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, their Supreme Leader, was killed in a U.S. and Israeli airstrike last Saturday.
According to provisions in Iran's constitution, if the Supreme Leader is no longer in power, a temporary Leadership Council is to be formed. This council comprises the President, the head of the judiciary, and a senior cleric from the Guardian Council. They assume the leader’s duties until the Assembly of Experts, consisting of 88 members, selects a new Supreme Leader.
The current Leadership Council includes Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Experts; Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran; and Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, Head of the Judiciary.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi is an influential cleric with a long record of government service. He was a close and trusted associate of Khamenei. He currently serves as Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Experts and is a member of the Guardian Council, the body responsible for vetting election candidates and reviewing legislation passed by the parliament.
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Source:cnn