DUBAI – A prominent Iranian religious leader has taken on a crucial wartime role following the death of the country’s Supreme Leader in recent military strikes.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has been thrust into Iran’s highest levels of power during an extraordinarily turbulent time, moving from his position among senior religious figures to active leadership after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.
The scholar-turned-administrator, known for his hardline positions, now serves as one of three top officials tasked with guiding the nation through its most unstable period since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Iranian authorities named Arafi to a temporary three-person leadership council responsible for running government operations, working alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei. This appointment came after Khamenei’s death during U.S.-Israeli military operations that began February 28.
The emergency leadership faces dual challenges: coordinating Iran’s response to ongoing U.S.-Israeli military action while simultaneously handling the critical process of choosing a new supreme leader. The religious establishment faces intense pressure to quickly select Khamenei’s replacement, as delays could project weakness and undermine confidence in governmental stability.
While Arafi, now in his late 60s, may not have the international recognition of other prominent clerics, his career advancement under the strongly anti-Western Khamenei positioned him for moments of prominence. Some religious leaders have even considered Arafi as a possible candidate to succeed Khamenei.
PROCEDURAL CHALLENGES AHEAD
Should Arafi pursue the supreme leadership position, he faces significant institutional obstacles. The 88-member Assembly of Experts, responsible for choosing the next leader, must first have a committee nominate him during a meeting with at least two-thirds attendance.
Following nomination, Arafi would still need support from two-thirds of attending members – approximately 40 senior religious leaders. Success remains uncertain at every step of this process.
Born in 1959, Arafi brings limited direct political experience but maintains strong ideological alignment with Khamenei’s vision. He has consistently advocated for governance based on complete implementation of Shi’ite religious law.
His influence stems primarily from significant institutional positions: leadership of Al-Mustafa International University and oversight of religious education in Iran’s holy city of Qom. He also holds membership in both the Guardian Council, which vets election candidates, and the Assembly of Experts – appointments he received through Khamenei’s support and confidence.
Arafi’s standing within Iran’s religious hierarchy began early when, at age 11, he relocated to Qom, the center of Shi’ite religious scholarship and learning.
As the son of an Ayatollah, Arafi pursued extensive education in religious law and philosophical studies throughout his formative years.
His professional trajectory accelerated after Khamenei assumed supreme leadership in 1989. At just 33 years old, Arafi began leading Friday prayers in his birthplace of Meybod, an early indication of Khamenei’s trust in him as the Supreme Leader strategically elevated loyal supporters.
INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
Arafi later assumed the same prayer leadership role in Qom, Iran’s sacred Shi’ite center, building both religious credibility and political influence within the clerical hierarchy.
His leadership of Al-Mustafa International University expanded his reach significantly. The institution operates connected religious schools and Islamic educational centers across more than 50 nations, working to spread the Islamic Republic’s ideological influence internationally.
According to the university’s Persian-language website, over 50,000 international students participate in its programs, with those studying in Iran receiving complimentary housing, home financing assistance, and healthcare coverage for themselves and family members.
Arafi left this university position in 2018. Two years afterward, the U.S. State Department officially designated the Quds Force as a terrorist organization, noting its recruitment activities.
The designation highlighted how the force had recruited Pakistani and Afghan students from Al-Mustafa International University into the Zaynabiyoun Brigade and Fatemiyoun Division – armed groups operating in Syria under Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force direction and previously sanctioned for terrorism and human rights violations.
While leading the university, Arafi asserted that roughly 50 million individuals converted to Shi’ite Islam over eight years through the institution’s missionary work. This claim faced skepticism from critics.
In 2016, Iranian leadership appointed him to head the country’s nationwide religious education system.
Arafi enhanced his political position three years later when Khamenei personally selected him for the Guardian Council, an influential oversight body that examines proposed laws and determines candidate eligibility for elections.
