Tehran forms three-member leadership council after U.S.-Israeli strikes reportedly killed dozens of senior Iranian officials.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran has appointed Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as interim Supreme Leader following the reported death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during U.S.-Israeli military strikes carried out under Operation Epic Fury.
The appointment comes after coordinated attacks that Iranian and international reports say eliminated multiple senior figures within the Islamic Republic’s political and military leadership. Among those reported killed were Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior adviser and Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi.
Reports indicate that approximately 40 high-ranking officials were killed in the strikes.
In response to the initial operation, Iran launched retaliatory attacks that resulted in the deaths of three American service members, with five others reported in serious condition.
Iranian authorities moved swiftly to establish continuity of governance, forming a three-member interim leadership council. Arafi was named to that council alongside the country’s president and chief justice. His appointment places him in the role of temporary head of the Islamic Republic as the government stabilizes its leadership structure.
Speculation circulated that Arafi may have also been targeted in subsequent strikes, but those reports have not been confirmed.
Arafi previously drew attention for remarks delivered during a 2019 sermon in which he led chants against Western nations. Video circulating on social media shows him leading a crowd in chants of “Death to America, Death to England, Death to the hypocrites and the infidels, Death to Israel.” Footage of that event was shared in a post available here.
The leadership transition occurs as Iran’s political system works through constitutional procedures to determine a permanent successor. In the interim, the council structure is intended to maintain executive and clerical authority following the sudden removal of top leadership figures.
Military operations tied to Operation Epic Fury and related retaliatory exchanges remain ongoing, with regional tensions continuing to escalate.
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