Kathrine Frich
Here is the latest update from Tehran:
New leadership after Khamenei
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has assumed a leading role as part of Iran’s temporary governing council after the country confirmed that its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died. This has been reported by Iranian state media as well as several international outlets.
Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989, is reported to have been killed in a joint US and Israeli military operation.
Interim leadership
Pending the appointment of a new permanent Supreme Leader, Iran has established an interim leadership council that includes Arafi alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholamhussein Mohseni-Ejei.
This temporary council is responsible for overseeing the country’s overall leadership until a formal successor is selected.
Who is Alireza Arafi?
Arafi is 66 years old and an influential Shia ayatollah who has long been active within Iran’s religious and political system. He is a member of both the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts, institutions that wield significant power in the Islamic Republic.
During his tenure as head of the religious Al-Mustafa Institute, he also established himself as a missionary figure and a conservative critic of atheism and Christianity, drawing criticism from experts.
A historic turning point
Khamenei’s death marks a dramatic end to an era in Iranian politics and raises questions about the future of the country’s domestic and foreign policy. How the new leadership will shape Iran’s role in the Middle East remains to be seen.
Source: Business World
