Who is Ayatollah Alireza Arafi? Cleric Set To Lead Iran After Ali Khamenei Killed In US-Israel Attacks

Ayatollah Alireza Arafi: Hours after the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the United States-Israel attacks, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has now been named as the interim leader of the Islamic state. The 67-year-old seasoned cleric was a close associate of Khamenei.

The announcement came hours after the US and Israel carried out air strikes and killed Khamenei.

Who is Ayatollah Alireza Arafi?

Ayatollah Alireza Arafi is a long-serving cleric who is expected to guide key decisions while Iran continues to face regional attacks and domestic mournings. He has been appointed as the jurist member of the leadership council that will temporarily fulfill the Supreme Leader's role, confirmed the agency Iranian Students' News Agency.

Arafi already serves as deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the Supreme Leader. He has also served as a member of prominent groups like the Guardian Council. The body is responsible for reviewing legislation passed by the parliament.

While he remains one of the widely established religious leaders of the country, he is not widely regarded as a major political force. However, he is not significantly involved in the security establishment.

Alireza Arafi Birth

Arafi was born in 1959 in Meybod, Yazd province, into a clerical household, and later studied in Qom, the country's main seminary centre. Under leading scholars there, Arafi achieved the rank of mujtahid, which allows the issuing of independent Islamic legal rulings within Shia jurisprudence.

Arafi's career got a boost when Khamenei advanced him by appointing him as Friday prayer leader in Meybod and later in Qom. Arafi also headed Al-Mustafa International University, which trains clerics from Iran and abroad. In 2019, Khamenei placed Arafi on the Guardian Council, which reviews legislation and approves or disqualifies candidates.
Arafi's appointment as interim Supreme Leader came alongside heightened tensions in the Middle East after US-Israel attack on Iran.

Iran has struck US military bases across the Middle East under the name Operation "Truthful Promise 4". Regional reports describe missiles hitting the US Navy headquarters in Bahrain, with explosions also heard in Abu Dhabi and Doha as tensions spread.
The wider fallout extends to aviation and regional security. Coverage of the crisis notes a diverted AI Tel Aviv flight returning to India as attacks and counter-attacks raised risks.

US Kills Khamenei

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in his office on Saturday during US-Israeli airstrikes. United States President Donald Trump announced the development late Saturday, describing Khamenei as "one of the most evil people in history" and urging Iranians to "take back their country". The death of the 86-year-old hardliner, who had ruled Iran since 1989, has created a significant power vacuum in the Islamic country and sparked intense speculation over who will succeed him.