Iran's Interim Council Meets After Khamenei's Death in US-Israel Strikes

Sharing the visuals from the meeting in a post on X on Monday, IRNA said, "The second meeting of the Provisional Leadership Council was held with the presence of President @drpezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei and Alireza A'rafi."

The second meeting of the Provisional Leadership Council comes after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed on Saturday in Israel-US strikes as a part of Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion.

After Khamenei's killing, Trump again addressed the Iranian public on Saturday, calling for them to topple the government. "This will probably be your only chance for generations," he said on Saturday after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began.

The Provisional Leadership Council was formed shortly after Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei and top security officials were killed in the US and Israel's ongoing attacks.

The interim council, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, will oversee the country until a new supreme leader is elected. Iranian state media say at least 201 people have been killed in the attacks across 24 provinces, as per Al Jazeera.

The three members of the council present in the meeting were Iranian President Masoud Pezekshian, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi and Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.

As per Al Jazeera, Arafi has been a member of the Guardian Council since 2019 -- whose members are appointed by the Supreme leader. It serves as the Islamic legal authority that vets Iran's laws and policies to make sure they conform to Islamic principles. The Council also approves election candidates, has veto power over legislation passed by parliament and supervises elections.

Alireza Arafi, a cleric member of the Guardian Council, has been appointed as the jurist member of Iran's Leadership Council, a body tasked with fulfilling the supreme leader's role until the Assembly of Experts elects a new leader, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.

It further reported that Arafi also serves as the deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts-- the body responsible for overseeing the selection of the supreme leader. He leads the Friday prayers in Iran's most important religious centre- Qom and heads the seminary system, overseeing education for religious leaders nationwide.

The third member of the Council-- Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei is a senior religious leader and has headed the judiciary since Khamenei appointed him to the post in July 2021, Al Jazeera reported. From 2005-2009 he served as the intelligence minister and later as prosecutor-general and first deputy chief justice.

- ANI