Amid nationwide mourning in Iran following the reported martyrdom of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a temporary leadership structure has begun to take shape.

Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi has been selected to join Iran’s interim leadership council as the country prepares for a new Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi has been appointed as a member of Iran’s interim governing council.

He will serve alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and the head of the judiciary as part of the temporary leadership body overseeing the country’s affairs.

The council is tasked with managing state matters until a new Supreme Leader is formally elected.

Transition after Khamenei’s martyrdom

Tehran has been gripped by grief and uncertainty since Iranian state media confirmed the martyrdom of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in what was described as joint US and Israeli attacks.

Authorities declared him a “martyr” and announced a seven-day public holiday along with a 40-day national mourning period.

State media further claimed that Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, and grandson were also martyred in the strikes.

Details of the reported strikes

According to Iranian state news agencies, the Supreme Leader was martyred during joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Israeli media reported that Khamenei had been inside an underground bunker when approximately 30 bombs were dropped on his compound. He was reportedly martyred along with dozens of associates.

Senior Israeli officials earlier claimed his body had been found following the strikes, a claim also cited by British media quoting Israeli sources.

US officials reportedly believe that Khamenei and between five and ten senior Iranian leaders were martyred in the attack.

Iranian authorities stated that 201 citizens were martyred and 747 others injured in the attacks carried out by the US and Israel.

The developments have triggered nationwide mourning, military threats of retaliation, and heightened tensions across the Middle East.