Raisi, next in line to be Supreme Leader, dies; When Iran will get new President? Who will hold top office?

“Don’t worry, there would be a plan in place for the succession of governance,” reports quoted Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying after state media confirmed the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.  

Iran lost Raisi, a conservative hardliner and protege of Khamenei, in a chopper crash when he, along with his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others were returning from a ceremony for an opening of a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan.

According to a report by IRGC-run media outlet Sepah, among those onboard were three crew members, the governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province, an imam, Raisi’s head of security chief and a bodyguard.

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When will Iran get a new President?

After the news of Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash, a few pertinent questions started making the rounds, including who will succeed him in running the government and when will the nation get a new leader.

Raisi was expected to succeed the 85-year-old Supreme Leader, Khamenei.

In Iran, the president is the head of the country’s executive branch, who is elected through elections held every four years.

The president controls the government and based on his political background and strength, he wields great influence over state policy as well as the economy of the country.

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As per Article 131 of the Islamic Republic’s constitution, upon the death of the president, the first vice president of the country assumes temporary leadership.

Currently, Dr Mohammad Mokhber is the first vice president of Iran.

However, the Supreme Leader of the country will have the final say on this transition of power.

In Iran, if Khamenei approves the appointment of Mokhber as interim president, then a council consisting of the first vice president, the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary is obligated to hold elections for the new president. All this has to be done in a maximum period of 50 days.

For the unversed, Iran was scheduled to hold presidential elections in 2025. Raisi was elected president in 2021.

Who is Mohammad Mokhber?

Mokhber is said to have a close bond with Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority in Iranian affairs.

Born on September 1, 1955, Mokhber took charge as Iran’s first vice president in 2021, under Raisi’s presidency.

He was involved in negotiations with Moscow, facilitating agreements to provide surface-to-surface missiles and drones to the Russian military.

Earlier, Mokhber-led Setad, an investment fund linked to Khamenei, was subjected to EU sanctions in 2010 for its alleged involvement in developing a nuclear or ballistic missile for Iran. In 2012, he was removed from the list.

How is the president different from the Supreme Leader in Iran?

In Iran, the Supreme Leader is the ultimate ruler and is responsible for all the major decisions related to the country.

Also known as the Velayat-e Faqih in Shia Islamic theology, the Supreme Leader in Iran serves as the head of the state and commander in chief.

The position was established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Interestingly, only men are considered for the post of Supreme Leader in Iran and the position is given only to a high-ranking Shia theologian who must be at least at the rank of Ayatollah.

With Raisi dead, who will next be in line to be Iran’s Supreme Leader?

Both, Raisi and Khamenei’s son Mojtaba were seen as the top contenders to replace the current Supreme Leader of Iran.

With Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash, Mojtaba is being seen as becoming the number one contender to hold the top office. But, this prospect poses significant risks. Iran’s history is marred by inherited rule, fiercely opposed by the leaders of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, who rejected any semblance of the monarchy they ousted.