The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, officially announced the start of the transitional phase in the country on Sunday, following confirmation of the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli strike. This announcement outlines the political landscape in Tehran for the coming period, amid official confirmations of the Supreme Leader's death at his residence.
Larijani revealed the immediate constitutional measures that will be taken to fill the leadership vacuum, indicating that a temporary leadership council will be formed as soon as possible. The Iranian official explained that work on forming this council has already begun, to ensure the continued administration of state affairs and the operation of public services during this critical period.
In detailing the composition of the anticipated leadership council, Larijani explained that it will consist of three key figures: the president, the head of the judiciary, and a jurist selected by the Guardian Council. This council will bear the responsibility of leading and managing the country entirely until a new leader is elected according to the established constitutional framework.
Iranian state television announced Khamenei's death, a fact later confirmed by the Iranian National Security Council in an official statement that specified the location of his death as within his residence. Statements issued by official sources in Tehran indicated that the death resulted directly from coordinated airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel.
In the first reactions, former US President Donald Trump posted a comment on his platform, Truth Social, confirming Khamenei's death. Trump described the event as a vindication of justice, arguing that it represented not only justice for the Iranian people, but also for Americans and many others around the world who suffered during the Iranian Supreme Leader's rule.
In connection with the casualties, Iranian media reported that the bombing not only killed the Supreme Leader but also several members of his immediate family. Media reports indicated that Khamenei's daughter, her husband, and her granddaughter were all killed in the same strikes that targeted the residence.
