The Islamic Republic of Iran activated the succession mechanism provided for in its Constitution after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed during the bombings carried out this Saturday by the United States and Israel.
A temporary leadership council, composed of President Masud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholamhosein Mohseni-Ejei and jurist Alireza Arafi, assumed provisional leadership of the country.
According to Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution, this triumvirate will exercise the prerogatives of the supreme leader, although it will not be able to alter the architecture of the system or adopt structural decisions that compromise the succession process.
Its main task will be to guarantee the stability of the state apparatus and oversee the transition until the Assembly of Experts appoints the new head of state.
The succession process and the Assembly of Experts
The choice of successor falls to the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 religious figures elected by suffrage but filtered by the Guardian Council.
This process will unfold under strict institutional secrecy, where the balance of power between the conservative clergy, the Revolutionary Guard, and the security agencies will be decisive.
The death of Khamenei marks the first major transition at the top of the system since the death of Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. While on that occasion the succession was resolved within hours through an internal agreement, the current transition is taking place in a volatile context. The establishment of the interim council is intended to send a message of operational readiness and continuity in the chain of command.
Reorganization of the military command
The foreign offensive generated a forced restructuring in the defense leadership due to the death of high-ranking officers, including Commander Mohamad Pakpur and Chief of Staff Abdorrahim Musavi.
In response to this situation, the authorities appointed General Ahmad Vahidi as the new commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guard.
