Israeli media is reporting that Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, who was just appointed as Iran’s interim supreme leader, has been killed in a fresh Israeli precision airstrike.
According to the unconfirmed Israeli media reports, the airstrike that killed Ayatollah Arafi was part of a “fresh wave” of Israeli attacks targeting Iran’s command and control infrastructure.
The Israeli military had earlier stated it was dealing a “severe blow” to Iran’s command centers, including those of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) .
FACT CHECK
No, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has not been killed in Israeli airstrikes. In fact, he was appointed as Iran’s interim Supreme Leader following the confirmed death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the longtime Supreme Leader of Iran, in a joint U.S.–Israeli airstrike.
Iranian state media and multiple international outlets report that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on Tehran in February 28th 2026. This has been widely covered and confirmed by Iranian authorities
Following that event, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was appointed to a leadership role — specifically as a member of the three-person interim leadership council (including Iran’s president and judiciary chief) that assumes the duties of the Supreme Leader until a permanent successor is chosen
There are no credible reports from reputable news outlets or official sources stating that Ayatollah Arafi was killed in any strike.
SUMMARY
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi is alive (as of the latest reliable reports) and serving as interim leadership after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The claim that Ayatollah Arafi was killed by Israel is false / not supported by evidence.
