[Iran Forms Three-Member Leadership Council... Interim Acting Supreme Leader]

According to the Constitution:
President, Judiciary Chief, and Guardian Council Member

Citizens of Tehran mourning the death of Iran's Supreme Leader. Photo by EPA Yonhap News.

According to state-run IRNA News Agency on March 1 (local time), Iran will form an interim Leadership Council composed of three members as stipulated by the constitution, following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

IRNA reported that, in accordance with Article 111 of the constitution, which specifies the delegation of authority in the event of the Supreme Leader’s incapacity, the council will consist of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a member of the Guardian Council. These three will comprise the Leadership Council and temporarily assume the duties and powers of the Supreme Leader during this transitional period.

Under the constitution, the Assembly of Experts, Iran’s constitutional body, must select the next Supreme Leader as swiftly as possible. Iranian experts predict that, rather than the institutionally established interim Leadership Council, former Vice President Mokhber-often referred to as “Khamenei’s right-hand man”-and Ali Larijani, the current Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council who oversees military and security affairs, are likely to hold real power in the event of a crisis.

Ayatollah Arafi, appointed as the Guardian Council’s representative on the council-a focal point of public attention-was a senior cleric and Islamic jurist trusted by Ayatollah Khamenei and considered a candidate for the next Supreme Leader.

He is a member of the Assembly of Experts, the constitutional body responsible for electing the Supreme Leader, having followed the traditional path of a cleric. His father was also very close to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Majlis (parliament), said, “Last year, it took only a few hours to teach the Zionist enemies a lesson. But as we can see this time, our military and administrative structures have already moved beyond individual-centered leadership and have become systematized.”

He added, “We have prepared plans for all possible scenarios, including the situation following Imam Khamenei’s martyrdom. You will witness the formation of the Leadership Council and an unimaginable sense of unity among officials, the military, and the people.”

Secretary Larijani also appeared on state television, stating that the interim Leadership Council was formed that day and has begun its work. He also noted that the Assembly of Experts would convene the same day to elect the next Supreme Leader.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.