Who are the council members temporarily in charge of Iran?

Al JazeeraEN 3 min read 100% complete by Yashraj SharmaMarch 1, 2026 at 04:47 PM

AI Summary

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Following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes on March 1, 2026, Iran has established a three-member interim leadership council to govern until a successor is chosen. This council, authorized by Article 111 of Iran's Constitution, consists of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Guardian Council member Ayatollah Alireza Arafi. The council will assume the duties of the supreme leader while the Assembly of Experts, of which Arafi is the deputy chairman, begins the process of selecting Khamenei's replacement. The Guardian Council is a powerful body that vets laws and candidates. The formation of the council comes as Iran pledges to avenge Khamenei's death and tensions rise in the region.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Assembly of Experts 30% Donald Trump 40% Tehran 40% Masoud Pezeshkian ×260% Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei ×260% Guardian Council ×370% Israel ×370% United States ×470% Ayatollah Alireza Arafi ×580% Ali Khamenei ×590% Iran ×10100%

Keywords

iran leadership council 80% ayatollah alireza arafi 70% iran government 60% us-israel strikes 50% supreme leader ali khamenei 50% iran constitution 40%