Who Is Mohammad Mokhber Who Takes Over The Reins Of Power after President Raisi’s Death

With the confirmation of the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, all eyes are now on the incumbent Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who will take over as the acting President of the Islamic Republic for 50 days within which the elections for a new President will have to be held as per the Iranian constitution.

Who Is Mohammad Mokhber?

Mohammad Mokhber is a seasoned politician and enjoys an excellent relationship with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He has remained in the shadows but has held numerous posts and was instrumental in helping the Islamic Nation bypass the sanctions imposed on the regime by Western nations because of its alleged nuclear weapons program. His name was announced by the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a condolence statement announcing the death of the Iranian President.

Mohammad Mokhber was born on September 1, 1955, to a family of clerics. He served in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the medical corps and had served in the Iran-Iraq war in the nineties.

As already reported, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were killed in a helicopter crash while returning to the Iranian city of Tabriz following the inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi Dam on the Iranian-Azerbaijani border. The helicopter carrying the President, the Foreign Minister, and a number of officials crashed in the mountainous terrain in heavy fog.

The Iranian constitution specifies that in the event of the death of a serving President, the Vice President will assume the presidency in an interim capacity with the approval of the Supreme Leader. The incumbent Acting President Mohammad Mokhber will head a council which will also include Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Judiciary Chief Ghollamhossein Mohseni Ezhei, which is tasked with conducting fresh elections within a period of 50 days. This transition must be approved by Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Mohammad Mokhber holds a degree in International Law and had headed the Setad, a powerful state-owned foundation which was formed to manage the assets that were seized after the fall of the Shah of Iran post the Islamic Revolution. However, the foundation has been mired in controversy and is accused of being used as a tool against dissidents. In 2010, the European Union included him in a sanctions list for his alleged involvement in nuclear and ballistic missile activities, although he was removed from the list two years later. The foundation also figures in the 37 companies under its control on a list of sanctioned entities by the US.

Also Read: Iranian State Media Confirms Iran President Ebrahim Raisi Dead In Helicopter Crash