Iran’s foreign minister has indicated that a new supreme leader could be elected within days Israel-Iran conflict news

Iran could elect a new supreme leader in a day or two, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghachi said, as the country begins 40 days of mourning after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike.

Speaking exclusively to Al Jazeera as Iran continues to exchange fire with Israel and the United States, Araghchi confirmed that the constitutional machinery of succession is already turning.

“A Transitional Council has been established,” he said, describing the three-member body as comprising the president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council. “This group of three will be in charge of the leadership before choosing a new leader. I think it will take some time. Maybe in a day or two, they will choose a new leader for the country.”

President Massoud Pezheshkian confirmed Sunday that the council had “started its work” in a pre-recorded speech broadcast on Iranian state television, in which he condemned Khamenei’s killing as a “great crime” and announced a period of mourning as well as seven days of public holidays.

Khamenei, 86, was killed Saturday in a wave of US-Israeli attacks across the country that killed at least 201 people in total, according to Iranian emergency services.

Among the dead were senior security figures and members of Khamenei’s own family: his daughter, son-in-law and grandson.

The process of selecting Khamenei’s replacement is enshrined in Iran’s constitution. The 88-member Clerical Assembly, elected by the public, has the power to appoint a new Supreme Leader by a simple majority.

The last time the process was triggered was in 1989, when a relatively younger Khamenei was elevated to the position following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founding father of the revolution.

‘Unprecedented breach’

Araghi called the assassination of Khamenei “absolutely unprecedented and a major violation of international law,” warning that the conflict would become “more dangerous and more complex.”

Khamenei is not only Iran’s political leader, but also a high-ranking religious leader outside Iran, for millions of Muslims across the region, he said, pointing to protests that have erupted in Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere where the leader has followers.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, echoed that anger in a televised speech, saying, “You have crossed our red line and must pay the price” and that “Iran will deliver such devastating blows that it will leave you begging.”

Araghi was defiant when asked about Iran’s military position, dismissing any suggestion that the US-Israeli strikes had achieved their goals despite the assassination of the country’s leader.

“There is no victory in this war. They have not been able to achieve their goals, and they will not be able to achieve their goals in the coming days,” he told Al Jazeera.

Paralleling the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last June, Araghi said, “The US and Israel expected Iran to capitulate and capitulate in two or three days. But it took 12 days to understand that Iran is not surrendering, and there is no chance to hear that there is no difference between this and the previous times.”

US President Donald Trump warned that any retaliation would lead to further escalation.

Aragchi’s interview comes as Iranian strikes spread across the Gulf for a second straight day, with strikes reported in Dubai, Doha, Manama and the Omani port of Duqm.

“What happened in Oman was not our choice. We have already told our armed forces to be careful about the targets they choose,” Araghchi said, adding that the Iranian military was acting on general instructions.

Araghchi was keen to distance himself from any suggestion that Iran’s neighbors were the main targets, insisting that he had been in direct contact with regional counterparts since the fighting began.

He admitted that some were “not happy”, while others were “even angry”. But Iran’s foreign minister did not apologise.

“This is a war imposed on us by the United States and Israel,” he said. “I want them to understand that what’s happening in this area is not our fault, it’s not our choice.”

“They (Gulf partners) should not pressure us to stop this war. They should pressure the other side.”