Mojtaba Khamenei in 2019. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto / picture alliance.
The temporary leadership of Iran is carried out by a council of three people: President Masoud Pezeshkian, head of the judiciary Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a member of the Guardian Council of the Constitution.
Ali Khamenei had led the country since 1989 and was killed as a result of a military operation initiated by Israel and the United States on February 28. His wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh, died from injuries sustained during this conflict.
The appointment of a new spiritual leader in Iran is carried out by members of the Assembly of Experts, which consists of 88 specialists in Islamic law and is elected by the citizens of the country every eight years; the last elections were held in 2024.
According to reports, on the morning of February 28, Israel and the United States struck Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to destroy the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic and called on the Iranian army to lay down its arms, urging the country's population to take their fate into their own hands.
According to Iranian state media, at least 787 people were killed as a result of the attacks. In response, Iran carried out strikes against Israel and other countries in the Persian Gulf, where casualties were also reported. Tehran emphasizes that its actions are directed against U.S. military bases, not against Arab countries.
