Alireza Arafi Becomes Interim Supreme Leader of Iran Following Khamenei's Death

Iran has appointed a senior cleric, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, as interim supreme leader. Arafi has been selected to join the Temporary Leadership Council that will govern the country following the assassination of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to AFP on 3 March 2026, Arafi was designated by the Policy-Determining Board to lead the country temporarily during Iran’s regime transition period.

“The Policy-Determining Board has selected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as a member of the temporary leadership council,” said Policy-Determining Board spokesperson Mohsen Dehnavi in a post on X.

Arafi will lead alongside Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei on the Temporary Leadership Council. “The temporary council will govern the country until the Assembly of Experts selects a permanent leader as soon as possible,” Dehnavi said.

Arafi’s name had previously emerged as a candidate to succeed Khamenei. He is a prominent cleric with a track record in government institutions and was considered Khamenei’s trusted figure.

Currently, he serves as deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts and has been a member of the influential Guardian Council, which vets election candidates and laws passed by parliament. He is also the head of Iran’s seminaries system.

According to Alex Vatanka from the Middle East Institute, Khamenei’s willingness to appoint Arafi to senior and strategic positions demonstrates that he placed “great confidence in his bureaucratic capabilities”. However, Arafi is not known as an influential political figure and does not have close ties with security institutions.

He is described as proficient in technology and fluent in Arabic and English. He is also an active writer, having published 24 books and articles.