Iran Names Interim Leadership Council After Supreme Leader Killed in U.S.–Israeli Strikes
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes, and Tehran says a new interim leadership structure is now in charge of the Islamic Republic.
The sudden vacuum at the top has raised tension across the Middle East and uncertainty within Iran, where Khamenei’s authority shaped foreign and domestic policy for decades.
State media reported the formation of an interim Leadership Council under Article 111 of Iran’s constitution to temporarily fulfill the duties of the late supreme leader.
The council includes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, and senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, selected to represent religious authority until the Assembly of Experts elects a permanent successor.
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Pezeshkian has vowed that Iran’s armed forces are prepared to respond to the strikes and “smash the bases of enemies,” signaling potential escalation.
“This council will maintain continuity and strength while the nation chooses its next supreme leader,” Pezeshkian said in a televised statement.
Iran has also begun a 40-day mourning period for Khamenei, with public ceremonies and state funerals across the country.
The transition highlights a constitutional process that could reshape Iran’s power balance, with clerical and military institutions jockeying for influence.
Analysts say selecting a new supreme leader amid active conflict may influence Iran’s internal stability and regional posture.
The Assembly of Experts is expected to convene soon to elect a permanent leader, but no timeline has been announced.
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