Iran has announced the formation of a "Temporary Leadership Council of Three" to govern the country until a new Supreme Leader is selected according to the Iranian constitution. All three members are key leaders with significant roles in Iran.
The establishment of this temporary leadership council follows Article 111 of the Iranian constitution, which mandates a provisional council to act on behalf of the Supreme Leader if the position becomes vacant. The three members include the President, the Chief Justice, and a representative from the Guardian Council. Initially, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi will serve as the temporary leader until the new Supreme Leader is chosen.
Who are the members of the Temporary Leadership Council?
1. Ayatollah Alireza Arafi
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has been a member of the Guardian Council since 2019. Members of this body are appointed by the Supreme Leader and are responsible for ensuring laws and policies align with Islamic principles, approving election candidates, vetoing parliamentary legislation, and overseeing elections.
Arafi also serves as the deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, the body tasked with selecting the new Supreme Leader. Additionally, he leads Friday prayers in Qom, Iran’s most important religious center, and oversees the country's religious institutions.
He is thus a significant figure in the religious power structure and plays a direct role in the process of selecting the new Supreme Leader.
2. Masoud Pezeshkian
Masoud Pezeshkian, aged 71, is a reformist politician and heart surgeon who was elected President in the 2024 elections.
Previously, he served as Minister of Health in Mohammad Khatami’s government and was a member of parliament representing Tabriz. Pezeshkian campaigned on economic revitalization, social liberalization, and constructive foreign relations, while affirming loyalty to the Islamic Republic’s structure.
Following Khamenei’s death, he issued a statement asserting that Iran has the duty and legitimate right to retaliate against those behind the incident.
3. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei is a hardline religious leader who has served as Chief Justice since 2021, appointed by Khamenei.
He previously held positions as Minister of Intelligence (2005–2009), Attorney General, and Deputy Chief Justice. He is regarded as a close ally of the government’s conservative faction.
During protests triggered by the rial currency crisis earlier this year, Mohseni-Ejei vowed no mercy toward those he labeled as agitators, accusing the United States and Israel of supporting unrest in the country.
Role of this leadership council
The three-member council will govern Iran during this critical transition amid war and international pressure while initiating the process to select a new Supreme Leader via the Assembly of Experts. The council declared it would strongly continue Khamenei’s policies and affirmed that Iran’s armed forces are prepared to crush enemy strongholds.
Source:Aljazeera
Click to readInternational news