LONDON, 01 March. - (ANA) - Alireza Arafi, one of Iran’s three interim leaders, is a senior cleric and Islamic scholar in charge of the country’s religious seminaries.

 

A member of the Guardian Council of jurists that vets legislation, Mr Arafi was chosen on Sunday to represent the body in a three-man leadership team. President Masoud Pezeshkian and judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei are the other members.

 

Born in 1959, Mr Arafi is described in Iranian media as coming from a distinguished family, his father a close ally of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

 

Appointed to the Guardian Council seven years ago, he met Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2022, presenting the late pontiff with artefacts from the holy city of Qom. As head of Iran’s seminaries he has also visited Russia and Turkey to meet scholars in recent years.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/01 March 2026 - - -