Iran has announced the formation of a three-member transitional council to assume the duties of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his killing in joint United States and Israeli strikes.
The move comes amid heightened regional tensions and retaliatory actions that have widened the conflict beyond Iran’s borders.
Khamenei, who had ruled for nearly four decades, was killed on Saturday in an attack that also claimed the life of the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, marking the second such killing in less than a year.
Iranian authorities have pledged to avenge the strikes, targeting Israeli and U.S. assets across Gulf countries.
Under Article 111 of Iran’s Constitution, a temporary leadership council assumes the supreme leader’s responsibilities until a successor is chosen.
The newly formed body comprises President Masoud Pezeshkian, Supreme Court Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a member of the Guardian Council.
Arafi, 67, was confirmed to the council by the Expediency Council, a powerful arbitration body.
He is also deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, the 88-member body responsible for selecting the next supreme leader, and leads Friday prayers in Qom while overseeing Iran’s seminary system.
Pezeshkian, a 71-year-old reformist and heart surgeon, was elected president in 2024 after campaigning on economic stabilisation and engagement abroad while affirming loyalty to the Islamic Republic’s constitutional framework.
Mohseni-Ejei, appointed judiciary chief in 2021, previously served as intelligence minister and prosecutor-general and is regarded as aligned with the conservative wing of the government.
The Assembly of Experts must, as soon as possible, appoint a new supreme leader.
The strikes have intensified an already volatile confrontation between Tehran, Washington and Israel.
President Pezeshkian said Iran considers “it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime”.
Security chief Ali Larijani accused the United States and Israel of attempting to destabilize the country and warned of consequences for internal secessionist movements.
“The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors,” he said.
Meanwhile, the future leadership of the IRGC remains uncertain, with deputy chief Ahmad Vahidi cited by IRGC-linked channels as a likely successor.
As the interim council governs, questions remain over the balance of power among Iran’s political and security institutions during the transition.