Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has been appointed as a member of Iran’s Leadership Council.
The council now has three members who will serve as the supreme leader until a permanent successor is chosen. The decision follows the reported death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Under Iran’s constitution, when the position of supreme leader becomes vacant, a temporary council must be formed. The council will run the country’s leadership until the Assembly of Experts elects a new leader as soon as possible.
Arafi is the clerical representative on this council. Along with him are Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.
Alireza Arafi is a senior Shia cleric and a member of Iran’s Guardian Council. He also serves in the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for picking the supreme leader.
Arafi has held several key religious and educational roles in Iran, including leadership positions within seminaries and academic institutions.
The appointment is part of a constitutional process meant to keep Iran’s leadership stable during a sensitive time. The Assembly of Experts, made up of 88 clerics, now has the task of choosing a new supreme leader to take over permanently. Until that choice is made, the temporary council will carry out the responsibilities of the highest office in the country.
This change comes amid heightened regional tensions and uncertainty about Iran’s political future. Observers are watching closely how the transition unfolds and what it means for Iran’s domestic and foreign policy.
