Iran foreign minister suggests new supreme leader may be chosen within days

"The transition council is established, he said, describing a three-member body comprising the president, the head of the judiciary, and a jurist from the Guardian Council. This group of three would act as in charge of the leadership before the new leader is elected. I assume that it takes a short period of time. Maybe in one or two days, they will elect a new leader for the country."

"The process for choosing Khamenei's replacement is enshrined in Iran's constitution. A clerical assembly of 88 members, elected by the public, holds the authority to appoint a new supreme leader by simple majority. The last time this process was triggered was in 1989, when a relatively junior Khamenei was elevated to the position after the death of the revolution's founding father, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini."

"Khamenei, 86, was assassinated on Saturday in a wave of US-Israeli strikes across the country that killed at least 201 people in total, according to Iranian emergency services. Among the dead were senior security figures and members of Khamenei's own family: his daughter, son-in-law and grandson."

Following Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's assassination in joint US-Israeli strikes, Iran has activated its constitutional succession process. A transition council comprising the president, head of judiciary, and a Guardian Council jurist will oversee leadership until a new supreme leader is elected. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated this could occur within one to two days. President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed the council's activation and declared seven days of public holidays alongside a 40-day mourning period. Khamenei, 86, was killed in strikes that resulted in at least 201 deaths, including senior security officials and family members. Iran's constitution grants an 88-member clerical assembly, elected by the public, authority to appoint the new supreme leader by simple majority. This succession process was last triggered in 1989 when Khamenei himself was elevated to the position.

Read at www.aljazeera.com