Iran’s President Raisi Dies in Helicopter Accident
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was declared dead on Monday, shortly after rescuers found his crashed helicopter in the mountainous northwest of Iran, with no survivors. Raisi, along with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others, were confirmed dead at the accident site. The rescue team reached the spot after an extensive search, and the official confirmation came more than 14 hours after the crash, which occurred on Sunday evening.
Raisi, born in 1960 in Mashhad, a holy Shia Muslim city in Iran, rose through the ranks of Iran’s Shia clergy. He faced significant allegations from human rights groups for his involvement in a panel that oversaw the execution of hundreds of political prisoners in Tehran in 1988, towards the end of the Iran-Iraq War. He served as deputy head of the judiciary for a decade before being appointed prosecutor-general in 2014. Raisi was sanctioned by the United States for alleged human rights violations.
In 2019, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Raisi as judiciary chief, a high-profile role. Raisi also served as deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for selecting the next Supreme Leader. He ran for president in 2017 but lost to Hassan Rouhani. However, he was elected president in 2021 and was considered a potential successor to the 85-year-old Khamenei.
Following Raisi’s death, Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, will assume the presidency with Khamenei’s assent, according to Article 131 of the Islamic Republic’s constitution. This provision mandates a new presidential election within 50 days. Mokhber, the speaker of parliament, and the head of the judiciary are responsible for organizing the election within this timeframe. As a result, the presidential elections, initially scheduled for 2025, are now likely to take place by July. Mokhber, born in 1955, will carry out the interim president’s duties until the elections occur.
Mokhber, who is also close to Khamenei, was elected vice president in 2021 and has been active in key national decisions. Notably, he was part of the delegation that visited Moscow in October last year, where Iran agreed to supply surface-to-surface missiles and additional drones to Russia’s military, according to sources cited by Reuters.
Raisi’s sudden death significantly impacts Iran’s political landscape, triggering an early presidential election and initiating a leadership transition amidst ongoing geopolitical challenges.
Follow for more.