Alireza Arafi has been appointed to Iran’s leadership council after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US–Israeli strikes
After Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israel military strikes, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was named to Iran’s interim Leadership Council.
Iran has appointed Alireza Arafi as a jurist member of its Temporary Leadership Council, following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli attacks, according to state media.
The appointment took place on Sunday, ISNA news agency reported. Arafi, a cleric and member of the Guardian Council, will join President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje’i on the council, which will assume the Supreme Leader’s duties until the Assembly of Experts elects his successor.
State media reiterated the announcement, highlighting Arafi’s role in the interim body.
In Tehran, some people celebrated with cheers, music, whistles, and fireworks after 11 p.m. local time on Saturday, even before official confirmation of Khamenei’s death.
Videos verified by the AFP news agency showed these scenes, although large crowds did not gather due to fears stemming from the recent crackdown on anti-government protests in January.
Others in central Tehran mourned, gathering in Enghelab Square wearing black, some crying, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” and waving Iranian flags and holding pictures of Khamenei.
State television announced 40 days of mourning and seven public holidays and said Khamenei’s path would continue with even greater vigor.
Iranian President Pezeshkian called the assassination a “declaration of war against Muslims” by the US and Israel. The Revolutionary Guards had previously vowed to punish those responsible.
US President Donald Trump announced Khamenei’s death on Truth Social late Saturday night, calling him “one of the worst people in history” and saying it gave Iranians a chance to reclaim their country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to Iranians to overthrow the government, calling Khamenei a “brutal dictator” who spread terror, oppressed his people, and sought to destroy Israel for more than three decades.
Reza Pahlavi, son of the late Shah of Iran, said on X that Khamenei’s death marked the end of the Islamic Republic, which would soon be forgotten in history.
