Iran will be governed by a three-member interim leadership council until a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is elected.
Tehran | March 2, 2026 | The Global Journal
Following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, Tehran announced the formation of this three-member interim council to run the country. Iranian authorities claim Khamenei was killed in an attack by Israel and the United States. The council will exercise the highest authority in the country until a new Supreme Leader is selected.
Iran has vowed to avenge the assassination of Khamenei, who had been in power for nearly four decades. The Iranian military has reportedly carried out retaliatory strikes targeting Israeli and U.S. assets in the Gulf region.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump called for regime change in Iran, saying, “Perhaps generation after generation, this is your only chance.” However, Iran’s religious leadership has begun the constitutional process to elect a new Supreme Leader.
Interim Council under Article 111 of the Constitution
According to Article 111 of Iran’s Constitution, if the Supreme Leader’s position becomes vacant, an interim leadership council assumes responsibilities until a new leader is elected. The council currently includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, and Guardian Council member Alireza Arafi.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi
Arafi has been a member of the Guardian Council since 2019. The council reviews Iranian laws and regulations for compliance with Islamic principles, approves election candidates, and oversees the electoral process. Arafi also serves as the vice president of the Assembly of Experts, which supervises the Supreme Leader’s selection. He leads Friday prayers in Qom and oversees religious education nationwide.
Masoud Pezeshkian
Seventy-one-year-old Pezeshkian is a reformist politician and cardiologist. He was elected President in 2024. Previously, he served as Health Minister under President Mohammad Khatami and represented Tabriz in Parliament. Responding to Khamenei’s assassination, Pezeshkian stated, “It is now Iran’s legitimate right and duty to avenge the planners and executors of this historic crime.”
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i
Mohseni-Eje’i was appointed head of the judiciary in July 2021 by the Supreme Leader. He previously served as intelligence minister, attorney general, and deputy chief justice. He is regarded as a close ally of Iran’s conservative faction. During protests over the collapse of the rial last January, he vowed strict measures against “rioters” and accused the U.S. and Israel of openly supporting unrest.
Attention in Iran is now focused on the Assembly of Experts, which will conduct the constitutional process to select a new Supreme Leader. Analysts warn that this leadership transition could significantly impact the geopolitical balance in the Middle East amid rising regional tensions.
