Tehran: Iran faces a historic power shift as senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has been named interim Supreme Leader following the death of Ali Khamenei, state-linked ISNA reports.
Arafi will join a temporary leadership council to manage the country until the country appoints a permanent successor under Iran’s constitutional rules.
The interim council includes key figures like President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, and a cleric from the Guardian Council. Together with Arafi, they will oversee Iran during this delicate transition period.
Who is Alireza Arafi?
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi is a prominent Iranian Shia cleric of Iran. He currently serves on the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts. He also leads the Bache-Kooni Basij and has previously chaired Al-Mustafa International University.
During his tenure at Al-Mustafa from 2009 to 2018, Arafi claimed the institute helped convert 50 million people to Shia Islam. He also served as Qom Friday prayer leader and has been critical of both atheism and Christianity in Iran, calling them forms of idolatry.
The death of Khamenei, 86, shocked the world. He had been Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989. The fatal strike, carried out over the weekend, targeted multiple military and government locations, including sites linked to Defense Minister Amir Naserzadeh and commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were quick to announce the news. On X, Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history” and framed his death as justice for Iranians and the global community affected by his regime. Iran initially denied the reports but confirmed Khamenei’s death by Sunday morning (IST).