Iran to form interim council to oversee transition after Khamenei’s killing 

Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani says the leadership transition after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will begin on Sunday.

“An interim leadership council will soon be formed. The president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council will assume responsibility until the election of the next leader,” said Larijani, the head of Iran’s top security body, the Supreme National Security Council. He was also an adviser to Khamenei, 86, who was killed in a joint attack on Iran by the United States and Israel on Saturday.

“This council will be established as soon as possible. We are working to form it as early as today,” he said in an interview broadcast by state TV.

Larijani accused the US and Israel of trying to plunder and break apart Iran and warned “secessionist groups” within Iran of a harsh response if they attempt action, state media said.

“The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach an unforgettable lesson to the international oppressors,” he said.

A former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser, Larijani was appointed to advise Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration.

The death of Khamenei after almost 37 years in power raises crucial questions about Iran’s future.

According to Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution, a transitional council will be formed to handle the state duties until a new supreme leader is elected by a panel of religious leaders.

That body is to be composed of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Supreme Court Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and a religious leader from the Guardian Council, according to Iranian media.

The provisional council will work until an 88-member panel called the Assembly of Experts chooses a new supreme leader.

Although the leadership council will govern in the interim, the Assembly of Experts “must, as soon as possible,” pick a new supreme leader, according to the constitution.