Interim Leadership Council

Interim Leadership Council
شورای موقت رهبری (Persian)
StatusHead of state (de jure) during vacancy of the Supreme Leader
Commander-in-chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces (5 – 8 March 2026)
Supervisor of the three branches of the state (the Judiciary, the Legislature, and the Executive)
SeatTehran
AppointerExpediency Discernment Council
Term lengthUntil a new Supreme Leader should be elected and appointed
Constituting instrumentConstitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran per Chapter VIII Article 111
PrecursorAli Khamenei (as Supreme Leader)
Formation1 March 2026
Abolished8 March 2026
Superseded byMojtaba Khamenei (as Supreme Leader)
SuccessionSupreme Leader after they get elected and appointed

The Interim Leadership Council is a body which temporarily handles the duties of the supreme leader of Iran and their functions as Iran's de jure head of state when the office is vacant. The council consists of the president of Iran, the chief justice of Iran and a member of the Guardian Council selected by the Expediency Discernment Council.

Its first and most recent composition was formed on 1 March 2026 after the assassination of Ali Khamenei, consisting of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and Ali Larijani were initially listed as members of the council but was not listed by later sources.

The three Interim Leadership Council members are referred to as acting or interim supreme leaders.