In a move that seals the continuity of the regime in Tehran, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has been appointed as a member of the Provisional Leadership Council. This body, mandated under Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution, has the right to exercise the powers of the Supreme Leader until a decision is made by the Assembly of Experts.
Arafi, 67, will govern alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Court Chief Justice Mohseni-Ejei. But in the eyes of international observers, it is Arafi who represents absolute loyalty to Khamenei’s ideology, as he is known as the former Iranian leader’s confidant for years.
Alireza Arafi was the former head of Al-Mustafa International University, an institution accused by the West of exporting radical Shiite ideology around the world. He supports close ties with Russia and China, while remaining a staunch opponent of Western ideologies.
As the Interim Council attempts to stabilize the country, Ahmad Vahidi is being touted as a possible successor to lead the elite military force. Iranian media have stressed that it is still unclear who will inherit Khamenei’s throne, with Arafat himself seen as one of the leading candidates.