By now, you likely know that the “Supreme Leader” of Iran, “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei” has been killed by US airstrikes. What you may not know is who is currently running the country, since not only is Khamenei dead but so are 40 of his top officials. Many are reporting that Ayatollah Arafi is now in charge: BREAKING: Ayatollah Arafi has been appointed as the acting Supreme Leader of Iran, ISNA reports. pic.twitter.com/rwreQcSe03 — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 1, 2026 But that is not entirely correct. The disruption has been so extreme that under Iran’s Constitution a three person council has now been formed as an interim measure. CNN has more details on the new Council formed today: The Islamic Republic has only replaced its supreme leader once since it swept to power nearly half a century ago. Khamenei, who succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, was killed without an officially declared heir. A three-person council was formed Sunday to hold power until Khamenei’s successor is chosen. But with the US-Israeli strikes ongoing, there is no indication of how long that might take. Who’s in charge right now? Under Iran’s constitution, a three-person leadership council holds power until the new supreme leader is named. It includes the moderate president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the hard-line head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and a senior cleric, Alireza Arafi. The powerful speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the regime had “prepared ourselves for these moments” and “planned for all scenarios.” “With the formation of a leadership council, an unimaginable power and cohesion will take shape,” he said. What it may not have planned for, however, is to have lost several of its most senior officials at once. Israel has claimed that a “majority” of Iran’s senior military leaders were killed in Saturday’s strikes, including the armed forces chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi; the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour; and the secretary of Iran’s Defense Council, Ali Shamkhani. When Khomeini died in 1989 — after the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted most of that decade — it took less than a day for Khamenei to be named as his successor, meaning there was no need to form a transition council. With US-Israeli strikes ongoing, naming Khamenei’s successor will take longer. Until then, the temporary council must decide whether to continue delegating defense decision-making to Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official, and Ghalibaf. Both men were tasked with leading Iran’s defense during the 12-day war with Israel in June, along with Shamkhani, a former navy rear admiral who was killed in Saturday’s strikes. CNN also had details on who the leading candidates might be right now: Khamenei’s second son, Mojtaba, is a significant figure with strong links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite wing of Iran’s military, as well as the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force. But given that the regime swept to power to replace the Iranian monarchy, the Shiite clerical establishment may want to avoid father-to-son succession. Alireza Arafi, a Shiite cleric who was named to the transition council on Sunday, was appointed to several senior positions by Khamenei and is seen as a strong contender. He is deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts and is a member of the Guardian Council, meaning he could vet his own name. He is also head of Iran’s seminary system. Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, who also represents the most conservative wing of the clerical establishment and sits in the Assembly of Experts, is another contender. So is Hassan Khomeini, a grandson of Khomeini who is known to be less hard-line than his peers. There is, however, a chance for surprises. The regime may opt for a younger, less well-known figure — or perhaps for a council of leaders, rather than a single person. But that can and will likely change rapidly because President Trump says they will all face CERTAIN DEATH if they do not immediately surrender. See here: BREAKING: President Trump says members of the Iranian army will face “CERTAIN DEATH” if they do not surrender immediately He also called on Iranians to OVERTHROW the regime “I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to SEIZE this moment!” pic.twitter.com/wcemEnGPk4 — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 1, 2026 If you ask me, being anywhere near this new Council sounds like a death sentence to me. I’d run far from it if it were me.