Learn about the late Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, and the aftermath of his passing

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead after his helicopter crashed in bad weather, raising uncertainties about the future of Iran.

Also aboard the flight was Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s 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.

Here is everything you need to know about Raisi, his death, and what happens next.

Who was Raisi?

Raisi was a prominent jurist and one of the leading political figures 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’s clerical elite.

Raisi was considered one of the most prominent hard-liners in Iranian politics, steering the country’s domestic policies in a more conservative direction while presiding over increasing hostility toward the United States and Israel.

He was close with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, 85, and was considered to be a likely successor after Khomeni’s death.

The most noted moment in Raisi’s career was his role in the 1988 mass execution of members of the leftist People’s 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 “death committee,” earning him the nickname the “Butcher of Tehran.”

How powerful was Raisi?

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 supreme leader.

Though the role of president is limited, it serves as the head of the government and especially holds significant sway over domestic affairs.

How did Raisi’s helicopter crash?

Raisi’s 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 “hard landing” amid poor, foggy weather. A massive search and rescue effort took hours to bring results.

The following day, IRNA announced that Raisi and the other passengers had been “martyred” in the helicopter crash. Khomeini soon confirmed, with “deep sorrow and regret,” the death of all onboard.

IRNA later reported that the crash was due to a “technical failure,” with no allegations of sabotage.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed the U.S. for the crash — not due to espionage, but rather through sanctions that have affected air travel safety.

“One of the main culprits of yesterday’s tragedy is the United States, which … embargoed the sale of aircraft and aviation parts to Iran and does not allow the people of Iran to enjoy good aviation facilities,” Zarif said, according to the Associated Press. “These will be recorded in the list of U.S. crimes against the Iranian people.”

Images of the crash were posted on social media, showing the charred helicopter entirely destroyed. Though burned, the bodies of the passengers were soon identified.

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.

Footage of the rescue operation showed personnel trudging through blizzard-like conditions.

What happens now?

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber assumed the presidency following the confirmation of Raisi’s death. Khomeini confirmed 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 appointed as the caretaker foreign minister.

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.

Khomeini announced five days of mourning over the crash. Syria and Lebanon declared three days of mourning, while India declared one day of mourning. The United Nations, China, Russia, and several other countries expressed their condolences to Iran.

What does Raisi’s death mean for the future of Iran?

The main effect of Raisi’s death will be the loss of a capable, likely successor to Khomeini. Raisi was considered a top contender alongside Mojtaba Khomeini, Ali Khomeini’s son, meaning his death clears the way for an uninterrupted succession of Khomeinis as the country’s supreme ruler since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

This means that one of the most likely consequences of Raisi’s death will be a future legitimacy crisis as Iran increasingly comes to resemble the hereditary monarchy overthrown in 1979, Time reported. Mojtaba Khomeini hasn’t been in the public eye to the extent of his father, meaning he would likely go into power without a semblance of popular legitimacy.

Raisi’s 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.

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Actual policy change is unlikely — 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.

“With Raisi, without Raisi, the regime is quite content with the way the post-Oct. 7 Middle East has been shaking out,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow focused on Iran at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Foreign Policy. “It’s 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.”