Thursday, February 13, 2025
HomeEntertainmentIranian President Ebrahim Raisi Dies in Helicopter Crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Dies in Helicopter Crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died on May 19, 2024, in a helicopter crash in the country’s East Azerbaijan province ¹. He was 63 years old. Raisi was traveling with eight others, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, when the helicopter went down in a mountainous and forested area in poor weather ². The crash occurred while the helicopter was returning from a trip to the Iran-Azerbaijan border ³. All nine people on board were killed ¹.

Background on Ebrahim Raisi

Ebrahim Raisi was a former chief justice and a longtime member of the Assembly of Experts, the body that chooses a replacement for the supreme leader in the event of his death ¹. He was a conservative and hardline figure in Iranian politics and was seen as a potential successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 85-year-old supreme leader of Iran ¹. Raisi was born in Mashhad in northeastern Iran, a religious hub for Shia Muslims, and underwent religious education and training at the seminary in Qom ¹. He wore a black turban, signifying that he was a sayyid, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, a status with particular significance among Twelver Shia Muslims ¹.

Presidency and Political Views

Raisi became president in 2021 amid low voter turnout and wide disqualification of reformist and moderate candidates ¹. He appeared to have secured a firm footing for re-election. His harshest rhetoric was reserved for Israel and the United States, followed by their Western allies ¹. He condemned “genocide” and “massacres” committed by Israel against Palestinians and called on the international community to intervene ¹. He also promised revenge against Israel after it leveled Tehran’s consulate building in Syria and killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals ¹.

Impact of Raisi’s Death

Raisi’s death comes at a fraught time for the Middle East and Iran itself ². Israel’s war against Hamas and the subsequent humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded in Gaza over the last seven months has inflamed global opinion and sent tensions soaring across the Middle East ². The death of Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian also raises questions about the future of Iran’s political leadership and its impact on regional security ². According to Iran’s constitution, the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, will assume the role of acting president until new elections are held within 50 days ².

Succession and Future of Iran’s Leadership

The Iranian constitution mandates that in the case of the death of the president, the first vice president shall assume, with the approval of the Supreme Leader, the powers and functions of the president ². First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber would assume the role if the current president dies and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approves ². The three heads of the branches of government the vice president, speaker of the parliament, and the head of the judiciary must arrange for an election to choose a new leader within 50 days of the vice president assuming the role of acting president ². Iran’s supreme leader serves as the final arbiter of domestic and foreign affairs in the Islamic Republic, dwarfing the powers of the country’s president ². Unlike his predecessor, the moderate former President Hassan Rouhani, Raisi had fostered a close alliance with Khamenei ². Many Iranians believed Raisi was being groomed to one day succeed the ailing 85-year-old Khamenei ².

Domestic and International Reactions

Iran’s government has convened an “urgent meeting” following the announcement of Raisi’s death, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA ². The chair that Raisi usually sits in was vacant and draped with a black sash in memory of the president ². Iran’s stock market was also closed on Monday, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News, which cited a member of the stock exchange’s board of directors ². Verses from the Quran were shared on Raisi’s social media account, citing Quranic verses that said, “Peace be upon Abraham. Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Indeed, he was of Our believing servants” ². Arash Azizi, a contributor at The Atlantic, said that Iran will enter a “tumultuous period” following the crash of the helicopter carrying Raisi ². He noted that there could be a lot of infighting but there would not be a constitutional crisis ². “They will organize the elections (within) 50 days, so I don’t think you’ll have any huge surprises there. There might be occasions for popular protests again, as,
CEO Dadiyanki
CEO Dadiyankihttps://dadiyanki.com
Email: Businesstomark@gmail.com (Whatsapp: +60 14-886 3460
RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular

Recent Comments