Iran names Alireza Arafi to leadership council after Khamenei killing

Iran names Alireza Arafi to leadership council after Khamenei killing

TEHRAN
Iran names Alireza Arafi to leadership council after Khamenei killing

A woman walks past electoral posters of Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a candidate for the upcoming Assembly of Experts elections in downtown Tehran, Iran, February 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi).

Iran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to its interim leadership council, which will be at the helm of the country following the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday.

"The Expediency Discernment Council has elected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as a member of the interim leadership council," said expediency council spokesman Mohsen Dehnavi in a post on X.

The interim council, which will also include the president and the head of the judiciary, will lead the country until the Assembly of Experts "elects a permanent leader as soon as possible".