Temporary end to doubts over who will lead Iran; Ayatollah Alireza Arafi takes charge as Supreme Leader 

TEHRAN: The news that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike in the Middle East broke out early this morning. Senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has reportedly been named as the interim supreme leader of Iran, which is facing a political crisis following Khamenei's death. He will be responsible for exercising the supreme leader's powers until a permanent successor is chosen through Iran's constitutional process.

The Supreme Leader was chosen for the transitional period by forming a Provisional Leadership Council under Iran's constitutional framework. The Provisional Leadership Council consists of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, who is a member of the Guardian Council and Assembly of Experts. The Provisional Council will collectively exercise the powers of the Supreme Leader and oversee state affairs during the transitional period following Khamenei's death until a permanent successor is chosen.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei became Iran's supreme leader in 1989 after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. Khamenei, who has led Iran since then, was the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East. Khamenei's assassination marks the second leadership transition since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran, which confirmed Khamenei's death, has declared 40 days of mourning and seven days of public holidays in the country.