Tehran (Web Desk): Iran stated on Sunday that it has constituted a three-member body to take over the country’s top leadership responsibilities in accordance with constitutional provisions after the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The temporary governing panel comprises Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, who joins President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei as members of the council.
Mohsen Dehnavi, spokesman for the Expediency Discernment Council, wrote on X that Arafi had been designated as the clerical representative on the interim body to safeguard continuity at the highest level of authority.
He added that this arrangement would remain in effect while the Assembly of Experts works to select a permanent successor at the earliest opportunity.
In line with Article 111 of the Iranian constitution, the provisional council will manage state affairs until the 88-member Assembly of Experts appoints a new supreme leader, ending nearly 37 years of Khamenei’s tenure.
The Assembly of Experts is made up entirely of Shiite religious scholars who are chosen by voters every eight years, with all nominees subject to approval by the Guardian Council, the nation’s constitutional supervisory institution.
Under Iran’s Shiite framework, the supreme leader holds the highest authority, exercising decisive power over all state matters. The position also includes command of the armed forces and the Revolutionary Guard.