IRAN has announced the formation of a three-member transitional council to handle the state duties following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, member of a powerful constitutional watchdog, was appointed on Sunday to the temporary council, whose other two members are President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Court Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.
The 67-year-old cleric, who is a member of the Guardian Council that must later choose a supreme leader, was confirmed to the council by the Expediency Council, a powerful arbitration body.
According to Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution, the transitional council will govern the country until an 88-member panel called the Assembly of Experts chooses a new supreme leader after almost 37 years of rule by Khamenei.
His killing on Saturday by the joint United States and Israeli forces has raised crucial questions about Iran’s future.
Although the leadership council will govern in the interim, the Assembly of Experts “must, as soon as possible,” pick a new supreme leader, according to the Iranian constitution.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani are also expected to play pivotal roles in the transitional council, but it remains to be seen where the balance of power lies.
The commander-in-chief of the IRGC was also killed in the US-Israeli attack on Saturday – the second such killing in less than a year – and the next leader of the elite military and economic force is yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, more explosions have been heard across the Gulf states as Iran carries out attacks in retaliation for attacks by the United States and Israel that killed its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials.
The explosions were heard for a second day on Sunday morning in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; Bahrain’s capital, Manama; and Qatar’s capital, Doha, raising fears of a wider conflict in a region long seen as a haven of peace and security in an otherwise turbulent Middle East.
Witnesses in Doha reported hearing several loud bangs and seeing thick black smoke rising on the clear morning horizon in the south of the city.
Shortly after, another wave of explosions reverberated through Dubai, a regional business hub. Puffs of white smoke from missile interceptions were seen in the city’s skies, while billows of dark smoke rose over its port of Jebel Ali, one of the busiest in the Middle East.
Explosions were also reported in Manama, with witnesses reporting at least four loud explosions. There was no immediate report of any damage or injuries from Sunday’s blasts.
The explosions came after a day of similar Iranian strikes on US military bases and other assets across the Gulf – except for Oman, which was mediating the nuclear talks between the US and Iran.
The oil-and-gas-rich Arab states, lying just across the Gulf from Iran, collectively host thousands of US troops.
On Saturday, Iran fired 137 missiles and 209 drones across the UAE, the country’s Ministry of Defence said, with fires and smoke reaching the Dubai landmarks of Palm Jumeirah and Burj al-Arab.
At Abu Dhabi’s airport, at least one person was killed and seven others wounded during what the facility’s authority called an “incident”. Dubai airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, and Kuwait’s airport were also hit.
Meanwhile, Qatari officials said Iran launched 65 missiles and 12 drones towards the Gulf state on Saturday, most of which were intercepted, but 16 people were injured in the attacks.
Elsewhere in the region, the Jordanian defence systems intercepted missiles that entered the capital Amman’s airspace, as well as the country’s northern areas, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. Sirens were also heard in Kuwait, the network reported.
In northern Iraq, a drone crashed near Erbil international airport, according to local media reports, with a large plume of smoke rising. The US is reported to still have troops in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region as part of an international coalition against ISIL (ISIS).
Nigeria Calls For De-Escalation
The Federal Government has also called for immediate de-escalation and maximum restraint in the Gulf region following coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran.
In the early hours of Saturday, the United States and Israel launched missile strikes on Iran.
Iran later carried out retaliatory strikes in some Gulf countries.
In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Saturday, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, urged all parties involved in the unfolding situation to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions capable of intensifying hostilities.
He emphasised the need to prioritise dialogue over confrontation, urging strict adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Geneva Convention, particularly with respect to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
“Nigeria calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions that could intensify hostilities, and to prioritise dialogue over confrontation,” Ebienfa said.
He stressed the imperative of restraint in the use of lethal force to prevent further loss of civilian lives and to safeguard established norms of international law.
It noted that preserving the existing legal architecture governing the use of force remains essential for protecting victims, safeguarding civilian populations, and maintaining international order.
Ebienfa also reaffirmed Nigeria’s longstanding foreign policy stance rooted in non-alignment, multilateralism, and constructive engagement, pledging support for renewed diplomatic efforts within established international and regional frameworks aimed at resolving the crisis.
The diplomat also welcomed confidence-building initiatives, mediation efforts, and dialogue among stakeholders, encouraging all parties to pursue a peaceful resolution in the interest of collective security and shared prosperity.
“The Government of Nigeria stands in solidarity with the international community in its call for calm and remains steadfast in its conviction that sustainable peace can only be secured through diplomacy, mutual respect, and faithful adherence to international law,” he added.
The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to promoting peace, stability, and respect for international norms, underscoring the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing emerging global security challenges.