Senior Iranian Cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi Named As Country’s Interim Supreme Leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamene
On March 1, 2026, senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was appointed as Iran’s interim Supreme Leader following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint United States (US)-Israel airstrike.
Iran Interim Leadership:
Activation: Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran mandated a three-member Interim Leadership Council to exercise his powers temporarily until the Assembly of Experts appoints a successor.
Composition: The council comprises President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice (CJ) Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as the jurist member from the Guardian Council, selected by the Expediency Discernment Council (EDC).
About Ayatollah Alireza Arafi:
Clerical: Born in 1959, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi is a senior Shia cleric holding the rank of Mujtahid, with expertise in religious jurisprudence and governance.
Institutional: He serves as Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Experts (AoE) and has been a member of the Guardian Council (GC) since 2019, overseeing leadership selection, candidate vetting, and legislative review.
Academic: He previously headed Al-Mustafa International University and currently directs Iran’s national network of Islamic Seminaries, managing clerical education domestically and internationally.
On March 1, 2026, senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was appointed as Iran’s interim Supreme Leader following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint United States (US)-Israel airstrike.
Iran Interim Leadership:
Activation: Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran mandated a three-member Interim Leadership Council to exercise his powers temporarily until the Assembly of Experts appoints a successor.
Composition: The council comprises President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice (CJ) Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as the jurist member from the Guardian Council, selected by the Expediency Discernment Council (EDC).
About Ayatollah Alireza Arafi:
Clerical: Born in 1959, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi is a senior Shia cleric holding the rank of Mujtahid, with expertise in religious jurisprudence and governance.
Institutional: He serves as Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Experts (AoE) and has been a member of the Guardian Council (GC) since 2019, overseeing leadership selection, candidate vetting, and legislative review.
Academic: He previously headed Al-Mustafa International University and currently directs Iran’s national network of Islamic Seminaries, managing clerical education domestically and internationally.
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