Temporary Leadership Council Takes Charge
Iran has established a temporary leadership council to manage state affairs following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who held power for nearly 37 years. The council includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, a hard-liner, and a Guardian Council member selected by the Expediency Council. These officials now temporarily handle all leadership duties as outlined in the constitution.
Assembly of Experts to Select Permanent Successor
An 88-member Assembly of Experts, composed of Shiite clerics elected every eight years, must swiftly choose a new supreme leader. The Guardian Council vets candidates for the assembly, often disqualifying moderates. For instance, former President Hassan Rouhani, who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal, was barred from running in March 2024.
Potential Candidates and Challenges
Deliberations occur behind closed doors, complicating predictions. Late President Ebrahim Raisi, once viewed as Khamenei’s protege, died in a May 2024 helicopter crash. This positions Mojtaba Khamenei, the supreme leader’s 56-year-old cleric son with no prior government role, as a possible successor. However, a father-to-son handover risks backlash, potentially viewed as establishing a religious dynasty reminiscent of the pre-1979 Shah regime.
Rare Historical Transition
This marks only the second supreme leader transition since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The first occurred in 1989 when Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, aged 86, passed away after leading Iran through its war with Iraq. The current shift follows Israel’s 12-day war against Iran in June 2025.
Vast Powers of the Supreme Leader
The supreme leader wields ultimate authority in Iran’s Shiite theocracy, deciding state matters and commanding the military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The U.S. labeled the IRGC a terrorist group in 2019. Under Khamenei, the Guard expanded its influence, amassing wealth and directing the ‘Axis of Resistance’—a network of Middle East militants opposing the U.S. and Israel.
