The statement said the Assembly of Experts moved quickly to select a successor despite acute wartime conditions, direct threats against the institution and the bombing of the Assembly’s secretariat offices, which it said resulted in the deaths of several staff members and security personnel.

According to the statement, the body began preparations for an extraordinary session immediately after news of the Leader’s martyrdom. It said arrangements were made to gather its members from across the country in order to ensure that the Islamic Republic would not face a leadership vacuum.

Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts — an 88-member clerical body elected by popular vote — is responsible for selecting and overseeing the country’s Leader.