Prominent Iranian Cleric Calls for Immediate Selection of New Supreme Leader Following Khamenei's Death in US-Israeli Attack

The Iranian religious authority Makarem Shirazi called for the immediate selection of a new Supreme Leader following the death of former leader Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli attack, aimed at "improving the management of the country's affairs," according to Reuters.

Leadership Council Meeting

The Iranian state television reported that the Iranian Leadership Council held a meeting to discuss how to organize a meeting of the Assembly of Experts, which will elect the new Supreme Leader of the nation.

The Leadership Council currently includes:
President Masoud Bezhakian
Head of the Judiciary Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei
Cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza A'arafi
Absence of a Timeline and Security Challenges
The statement did not provide any official timeline for the selection of the Supreme Leader, nor details on whether the voting will be held in person or remotely.
This comes amid attacks on the Assembly of Experts buildings, a religious body consisting of 88 members, during the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, 2026, complicating the organization of the process.

This development follows the death of the former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war due to the bombing that included his residence, opening a sensitive political and religious phase in Iran regarding the appointment of new leadership at a critical time both domestically and regionally.