Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to serve as Iran's interim supreme leader after Khamenei’s death

As Iran enters a period of political uncertainty after the confirmed death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli strike, senior religious figure Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has been named to a temporary Leadership Council tasked with overseeing the duties of the supreme leader until a permanent successor is chosen.

The appointment was reported by the state-linked ISNA news agency and confirmed by international media tracking the transition.

Arafi, a veteran cleric born in Meybod, Iran, is a well-established figure within the country’s theocratic hierarchy. He currently serves as a member of the Assembly of Experts, the elected body of senior clerics responsible for selecting Iran’s supreme leader, and is also part of the Guardian Council, a powerful institution that vets electoral candidates and oversees legislation.

In addition to these roles, Arafi has extensive experience in Iran’s religious education system, having led the country’s seminaries and served in senior positions such as director of the influential Al-Mustafa International University and Friday prayer leader in the holy city of Qom.

His trajectory reflects deep roots in Iran’s clerical establishment, making him a recognisable figure in the structures that underpin the Islamic Republic’s governance.

Despite his broad religious credentials and institutional influence, Arafi is generally not seen as a major political heavyweight compared with figures with strong ties to Iran’s security apparatus, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Analysts note that while he embodies doctrinal continuity, his elevation to permanent supreme leader is far from assured, and the Assembly of Experts will play a decisive role in determining the final successor.

Under Iran’s constitution, a Leadership Council temporarily assumes the responsibilities of the supreme leader in the event of a vacancy.

In this provisional arrangement, Arafi will serve alongside other senior officials — including the president and the chief justice — while the Assembly of Experts prepares to elect a new permanent supreme leader, a process that could shape Iran’s future policies at home and abroad.