Ayatollah Alireza Arafi appointed as Iran's Interim Supreme Leader.

Exam-focused facts from the 2 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was appointed as Iran's Interim Supreme Leader after the death of Ayatollah Khamenei.
He was born in 1959 in Yazd province, Iran.
Arafi achieved the rank of mujtahid, granting him authority to issue independent legal rulings.
He formerly headed Al-Mustafa International University, managing global clerical training.
In 2019, he was appointed to the Guardian Council, giving him influence over national legislation and candidate vetting.
His ideology promotes a politically active and revolutionary version of Shia Islam.