Who is Alireza Arafi, the ‘Seasoned Cleric’ Now Tasked with Leading Iran?
2 min readUpdated: Mar 1, 2026 04:04 PM Iran news: Hours after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death in US strikes was confirmed, Ayatollah Arafi, a seasoned cleric and close associate of Khamenei, has been named to temporarily lead Iran.
Arafi has been appointed the jur member of leadership council and has been additionally tasked with “temporarily fulfilling Supreme Leader’s role”, news agency Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported.
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Who is Alireza Arafi?
Arafi was one of the key frontrunners in the race to succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 67-year-old is a seasoned cleric and close associate of Khamenei. Arafi currently serves as deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the Supreme Leader.
His previous roles include time spent as a member of the influential Guardian Council, the body responsible for vetting election candidates and reviewing legislation passed parliament.
He also heads Iran’s seminary system.
Although well established religiously, he is not widely regarded as a major political force and is not known for strong ties to the security establishment.
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