The Iranian government has announced the initiation of a transitional leadership period following the reported death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s National Security Council, stated that a temporary leadership council will be established to oversee the country until a new supreme leader is elected.
Larijani emphasized that the council, comprising the President, the head of the judiciary, and a legal advisor from the Guardian Council, will assume responsibilities immediately. This announcement was made during an interview broadcast on state television, where he indicated that efforts to form this council are underway.
According to media reports, this three-member council will govern Iran until the Assembly of Experts, a body composed of 88 influential clerics, selects a successor. Iranian law mandates that the Assembly of Experts elect a new supreme leader as swiftly as possible.
Earlier reports from Israel claimed that Khamenei had died, with U.S. President Donald Trump asserting that the Iranian leader was killed during American-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. However, as of the evening of February 28, there was no confirmation from Tehran regarding these claims.
Khamenei had held near-dictatorial power in Iran since becoming the supreme leader in 1989, following the death of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
On the morning of February 28, Israeli military forces conducted strikes within Iranian territory. Shortly after Israel announced what it termed a “preventive strike,” President Trump declared that the U.S. had commenced “large-scale military operations” against Iran.
In a video message shared on social media, Trump stated that his objective was to “protect the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” Reports from Iranian media indicated explosions in multiple cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, Qom, Lorestan, and Chabahar, with strikes targeting Iran’s highest leadership.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded to the U.S. and Israeli strikes by launching several waves of drones and ballistic missiles towards Israel. Additionally, Iran fired missiles at various countries in the Middle East hosting U.S. military bases, with explosions reported in Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
These military actions occurred just days after nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, raising questions about the future of planned discussions in Vienna the following week, as Washington increases its military presence in the region.
The Iranian government has begun a transitional leadership phase following the reported death of Supreme Leader Khamenei. A temporary council will oversee the country until a successor is elected, amid escalating military tensions following recent strikes by Israel and the U.S.
Source: AFP