Iran-Israel War: Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, on Saturday outlined a timeline for selecting a new supreme leader, stating that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's successor will be chosen within 'one or two days'. This comes a day after Iran's Supreme Leader was killed in coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Araghchi said that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's successor will be chosen in one or two days, adding that Iran's state institutions "are in place" and that the country "has constitutional procedures in place".

"You may see the selection of a supreme leader in a day or two," Al Jazeera quoted Araghchi as saying.

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Ayatollah Alireza Arafi Appointed Interim Supreme Leader

Earlier in the day, Senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was appointed as the jurist member of Iran's interim Leadership Council, which will exercise the Supreme Leader's powers during the transition until a permanent successor is selected under Iran's constitutional process.

"The Expediency Discernment Council has elected Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as a member of the interim leadership council," expediency council spokesman Mohsen Dehnavi said in a post on X.

The interim leadership council also includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, and a cleric from the Guardian Council.

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Arafi Rise Through The Years

Arafi rose to prominence after Khamenei became Supreme Leader in 1989, and he was first appointed Friday prayer leader in his hometown of Meybod in 1992. He was 33 at the time, a young age for such an appointment and a clear sign of Khamenei's trust in him.

"Khamenei's willingness to appoint Arafi to senior and strategically sensitive positions showed a great deal of confidence in his bureaucratic abilities," CNN quoted senior analyst Alex Vatanka as saying. While Arafi was not initially seen as a political heavyweight with deep ties to the security establishment, his appointment as the interim Supreme Leader of the country suggests he has steadily built influence over the years.

Before his appointment as interim Supreme Leader, the 67-year-old cleric held key positions, including Director of Iran's nationwide Islamic Seminary system, member of the Guardian Council, and a sitting member of the Assembly of Experts.