Iranian officials announce temporary governing body following the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei as U.S.–Israeli military operations intensify and President Trump outlines possible diplomatic “off ramps.”
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran is establishing a temporary leadership structure following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during joint U.S. and Israeli military operations, according to public statements from Iranian officials.
An Iranian report confirmed that Iran is forming a temporary leadership council to govern until a successor is formally selected. Iranian politician Ali Larijani said the interim body will exercise authority during the transition period.
Larijani, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, previously served as speaker of Iran’s parliament and as the country’s chief nuclear negotiator. He has been described as having a reputation for pragmatism, including on matters related to Iran’s nuclear policy. In a televised interview in February, Larijani stated the nuclear dispute was “resolvable.”
“If the Americans’ concern is that Iran should not move toward acquiring a nuclear weapon, that can be addressed,” he said at the time.
The formation of the interim council comes amid an expanding U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iranian military infrastructure. In an eight-minute address to the nation Saturday morning, President Donald Trump said Iran’s leadership must be held accountable for what he described as decades of attacks against the United States and its allies, as well as continued pursuit of nuclear weapons capabilities.
He stated that U.S. forces would now target Iran’s missile systems, naval assets and “terrorist proxies” operating throughout the region. Trump also called on the Iranian people to “take over your government” once military operations conclude.
In a phone interview with Axios on Saturday, Trump said he was offering Tehran several “off ramps” to conclude hostilities.
“I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: ‘See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear program],’” he said.
“In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack,” Trump added.
The remarks indicate that while military operations are underway, diplomatic options remain under consideration. As Axios noted, “A short operation followed by new ultimatums would be a dramatically different outcome than the regime change that some U.S. and Israeli officials have described as the goal.”
A senior U.S. official has described the joint operational plan as centered on an intensive five-day bombing campaign. Trump told Axios that the timetable could shift depending on developments, including the status of senior Iranian leaders.
The president cited two primary drivers behind the strikes: the collapse of recent negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s history of supporting proxy groups and militant activity over the past five decades. Negotiations on the U.S. side were led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“The Iranians got close and then pulled back—close and then pulled back. I understood from that that they don’t really want a deal,” Trump said, asserting that Tehran had reconstructed portions of nuclear facilities previously damaged during Operation Midnight Hammer last June.
Trump said Operation Midnight Hammer made the current campaign possible and argued that without those earlier strikes, Iran might already have obtained a nuclear weapon.
The establishment of an interim leadership council marks a significant development within Iran’s governing structure as military operations continue and international attention remains focused on the evolving conflict.
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