Tehran: After the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel joint strike on Tehran, who will be its new leader? The US and Israel are calling for regime change. But Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have retaliated the attacks, hoping for taking over.
Who are the opposition rivals?
The two rival opposition figures in Iran who are attempting to get a position are Maryam Rajavi and exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi. According to media reports, they had released messages and urged Iranians to stay united. They have pitched different visions for the Islamic Republic’s future.
Until the country gets a new leader, Iran’s news agency IRNA has reported that a leadership council comprising the president, the judiciary chief, and a jurist from the Guardian Council will be in charge of the duties of Iran’s supreme leader temporarily.
Here’s what US has said about the new leader
Taking to Truth Social, US President Donald Trump had reportedly said there were “some good candidates” to lead Iran.
Who could be the possible choices?
Here are the names that have been listed by a US think-tank.
- Hojjat-ol-Eslam Mohsen Qomi – He has been a close adviser to Khamenei. He is seen as a trusted insider.
- Ayatollah Alireza Arafi – He is a senior cleric and member of both the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts. He also heads Iran’s seminary system.
- Ayatollah Mohsen Araki – He is a senior member of the Assembly of Experts.
- Ayatollah Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei – He is the head of Iran’s judiciary He had held key security and government posts.
- Ayatollah Hashem Hosseini Bushehri – He is the Friday prayer leader in Qom and a member of the Assembly of Experts.
The government-in -exile
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) that was formed after the 1979 revolution has proposed the blueprint of a six-month transitional administration. It proposed to hold free elections and “transfer sovereignty to the people.” The NCRI has presented itself as a government-in-exile.
