Iran Names Three Officials to Temporarily Assume Khamenei's Duties

Middle Eastern outlets describe Iran’s interim council as a stopgap while rival camps push different successors and even question the future shape of the Supreme Leader’s office. They highlight Arafi’s clerical credentials, Larijani’s political weight and Mojtaba Khamenei’s family link as competing centers of influence. They expect internal bargaining among clerics, the Revolutionary Guard and elected officials to decide both the next leader and whether the role is weakened or preserved.

• •Iran’s leadership council, including Alireza Arafi and Ali Larijani, is portrayed as a temporary arrangement to manage the country after Khamenei’s killing.
• •Arafi is described as emerging from Khamenei’s trusted circle and now heading the interim council.
• •Larijani is cast as a pragmatist who could shape how far Iran opens to the West during the transition.
• •Some Iranian voices reported in the region question whether the Supreme Leader’s powers should be reduced or redefined.
• •Regional coverage suggests that the Revolutionary Guard, clerical establishment and elected government will all try to shape the final choice of successor.