{"id":2248631,"date":"2024-05-20T12:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T16:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-was-iranian-president-ebrahim-raisi-and-what-happens-after-his-death\/"},"modified":"2024-05-20T12:53:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T16:53:33","slug":"who-was-iranian-president-ebrahim-raisi-and-what-happens-after-his-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-was-iranian-president-ebrahim-raisi-and-what-happens-after-his-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn about the late Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, and the aftermath of his passing"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwho-was-iranian-president-ebrahim-raisi-and-what-happens-after-his-death%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2248631&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi tragically died\u200b in a\u2063 helicopter \u200bcrash, leading to uncertainties for Iran&#8217;s \u200cfuture. Alongside Raisi were Foreign Minister \u200bHossein \u200dAmirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and others. The \u2063crash, deemed a\u200c technical failure, triggered mourning and a shift in\u2064 leadership, with Vice President Mokhber assuming the presidency \u2064and new \u2064elections\u200d on the horizon.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead after his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3009349\/no-sign-of-life-at-crash-site-of-helicopter-carrying-iranian-president-ebrahim-raisi-state-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"helicopter crashed\">helicopter crashed<\/a> in bad weather, raising uncertainties about the future of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"helicopter crashed\">Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Also aboard the flight was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/foreign-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Foreign Minister\">Foreign Minister<\/a> Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran\u2019s East Azerbaijan Province, and five others, according to Iranian state media IRNA. The crash marks the latest in a series of major leadership losses for the major Middle Eastern power amid unprecedented tensions in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Here is everything you need to know about Raisi, his death, and what happens next.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>A man holds a portrait of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a candlelight vigil outside the Embassy of Iran in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 20, 2024. Raisi and several other officials were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of Iran\u2019s northwest, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-sends-25-warplanes-into-taiwanese-airspace\/\" title=\"China Sends 25 Warplanes Into Taiwanese Airspace\">state media reported<\/a>. (AP Photo\/Dita Alangkara)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Who was Raisi?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Raisi was a prominent jurist and one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/brazils-bolsonaro-releases-ministers-in-move-to-bolster-re-election-bid\/\" title=\"Brazil\u2019s Bolsonaro releases ministers in move to bolster re-election bid\">leading political figures<\/a> in Iran, serving in successively higher legal positions from 2004 to 2021, including that of attorney general and chief justice. After unsuccessfully running for president in 2017, his second run was successful after winning the backing of the country\u2019s clerical elite.<\/p>\n<p>Raisi was considered one of the most prominent hard-liners in Iranian politics, steering the country\u2019s domestic policies in a more conservative direction while presiding over increasing hostility toward the United States and Israel.<\/p>\n<p>He was close with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, 85, and was considered to be a likely successor after Khomeni\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>The most noted moment in Raisi\u2019s career was his role in the 1988 mass execution of members of the leftist People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, communists, and other leftists. After the MEK joined with Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War and invaded Iran in 1988, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered the mass execution of thousands of prisoners affiliated with, or adjacent to, the group. Raisi was one of the members of the four-man \u201cdeath committee,\u201d earning him the nickname the \u201cButcher of Tehran.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How powerful was Raisi?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Raisi held the second-most prominent position in the Iranian government, but his power was limited. Khomeini holds the true power, and Raisi was unable to do much of anything without his direct approval. Given the president was a close ally of Khomeini, his true power was likely an ability to sway the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ayatollah-iran-in-no-hurry-to-see-u-s-return-to-nuclear-deal\/\" title=\"Ayatollah: Iran in no hurry to see U.S. return to nuclear deal\">supreme leader<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Though the role of president is limited, it serves as the head of the government and especially holds significant sway over domestic affairs.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How did Raisi\u2019s helicopter crash?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Raisi\u2019s helicopter went missing on Sunday while on a return journey from a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to announce a joint dam project. IRNA reported that the rotorcraft had a \u201chard landing\u201d amid poor, foggy weather. A massive search and rescue effort took hours to bring results.<\/p>\n<p>The following day, IRNA announced that Raisi and the other passengers had been \u201cmartyred\u201d in the helicopter crash. Khomeini soon <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/khamenei_ir\/status\/1792480667009184110\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"confirmed\">confirmed<\/a>, with \u201cdeep sorrow and regret,\u201d the death of all onboard.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<blockquote data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a>&#8216;s President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and a group of officials accompanying them were martyred in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IrnaEnglish\/status\/1792415335209161066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>IRNA later <a href=\"https:\/\/en.irna.ir\/photo\/85483524\/Martyr-Ayatollah-Seyyed-Ebrahim-Raisi-over-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"reported\">reported<\/a> that the crash was due to a \u201ctechnical failure,\u201d with no allegations of sabotage.<\/p>\n<p>Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed the U.S. for the crash \u2014 not due to espionage, but rather through sanctions that have affected air travel safety.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the main culprits of yesterday\u2019s tragedy is the United States, which \u2026 embargoed the sale of aircraft and aviation parts to Iran and does not allow the people of Iran to enjoy good aviation facilities,\u201d Zarif said, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-president-ebrahim-raisi-426c6f4ae2dd1f0801c73875bb696f48\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"according to\">according to<\/a> the <em>Associated Press<\/em>. \u201cThese will be recorded in the list of U.S. crimes against the Iranian people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Images of the crash were posted on social media, showing the charred helicopter entirely destroyed. Though burned, the bodies of the passengers were soon <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eMkz7E9e3r\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"identified\">identified<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>The helicopter was a Bell 212, the civilian version of the American Vietnam War-era Huey. IRNA reported that it was purchased in the 2000s.<\/p>\n<p>Footage of the rescue operation showed personnel trudging through blizzard-like conditions.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>What happens now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber assumed the presidency following the confirmation of Raisi\u2019s death. Khomeini <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/khamenei_ir\/status\/1792496749220675994\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"confirmed\">confirmed<\/a> that, as stipulated by the Iranian Constitution, new elections will be held within a maximum of 50 days. Bagheri Kani, 56, the political deputy for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IrnaEnglish\/status\/1792472422072906177\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"appointed\">appointed<\/a> as the caretaker foreign minister.<\/p>\n<p>Presidential elections in Iran are criticized as fraudulent by many watchdogs, and the candidates must be cleared by the conservative Guardian Council, with members appointed by Khomeini.<\/p>\n<p>Khomeini <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/khamenei_ir\/status\/1792496563006407043\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"announced\">announced<\/a> five days of mourning over the crash. Syria and Lebanon declared three days of mourning, while India <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IranIntl_En\/status\/1792554503784259907\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"announced\">declared<\/a> one day of mourning. The United Nations, China, Russia, and several other countries expressed their condolences to Iran.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What does Raisi\u2019s death mean for the future of Iran?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The main effect of Raisi\u2019s death will be the loss of a capable, likely successor to Khomeini. Raisi was considered a top contender alongside Mojtaba Khomeini, Ali Khomeini\u2019s son, meaning his death clears the way for an uninterrupted succession of Khomeinis as the country\u2019s supreme ruler since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.<\/p>\n<p>This means that one of the most likely consequences of Raisi\u2019s death will be a future legitimacy crisis as Iran increasingly comes to resemble the hereditary monarchy overthrown in 1979, <em>Time<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6980028\/iran-raisi-death-next-president-supreme-leader\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"reported\">reported<\/a>. Mojtaba Khomeini hasn\u2019t been in the public eye to the extent of his father, meaning he would likely go into power without a semblance of popular legitimacy.<\/p>\n<p>Raisi\u2019s death also marks the third major leadership loss for Iran over the past four years, with the first two being the assassination of Qasem Soleimani in 2020 and the Israeli assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps leaders in a Damascus, Syria, airstrike on April 1.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Actual policy change is unlikely \u2014 the Iranian political system is largely structured around conservative continuity. Every candidate for the presidency must be vetted by the Guardian Council, which is famous for its strict requirements. Even some conservatives who vie for the position are rejected after not being considered conservative enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith Raisi, without Raisi, the regime is quite content with the way the post-Oct. 7 Middle East has been shaking out,\u201d Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow focused on Iran at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2024\/05\/20\/iran-president-helicopter-crash-raisi-politics-supreme-leader\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"told\">told<\/a> <em>Foreign Policy<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s been able to continue its death-by-a-thousand-cuts strategy, firing directly against the U.S. and Israel via proxy and then even directly a few times itself with the tit-for-tat you saw in April, and still look like it won the round.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi&#8217;s death in a helicopter crash amid bad weather has sparked uncertainty about Iran&#8217;s future. The tragic incident also claimed the lives of Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and five others, as reported by Iranian state media IRNA. This crash adds to a series of recent tragic events<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2248632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24141438550955-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2248631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24141438550955-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2248631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2248631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2248631\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2248632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2248631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2248631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2248631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}