Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died when a helicopter carrying him went down for an undisclosed reason in the country's East Azerbaijan province on May 19. He was 63 years old.
Iranian Vice President Mohsen Mansouri officially confirmed the death of the Iranian president on Monday. What could be the reasons for the crash and what was his role in the Iranian political world?
Ebrahim Raisi was elected president by a general vote in 2021, at the age of 61. During his mandate, Iran reestablished diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia - without Western mediation. The country also vastly improved its ties with Russia, de-dollarized and expanded its economic ties with Moscow and Beijing. Last but not least, it was under Raisi that Iran became a full-fledged member of the BRICS+ organization.
A President for Stability
Raisi's election to the position of the president became a reflection of society's thirst for reliable and predictable governance. Raisi's victory was expeсted: experts had been predicting it long before the election.
So, when 62% per cent of the voters supported Raisi, it became a symbolic vote for stability. (The previous two presicential elections were won by two politicians, whose candidacies had been dismissed by seasoned experts as "marginal".) After the vote, Raisi behaved as a dignified conservative, having sympathy for the common people and helping them in their predicament - Raisi's work in an Islamic charity fund of his name helped in reinforcing that image.
Under Raisi, Iran survived violent riots of the radical opposition in 2022-2023. The rioters used as a pretext the tragic plight of a young woman who died in a police custody.
Raisi acknowledged and condemned the death of the woman from the hands of activists, but during all of that tumultuous period he kept calling on people to show restraint and use the legal ways to vent their anger. That was well received by population.
From Rebellious Youth to a Speedy Career
Raisi was born into a family Raissi of a Shiite Islamic cleric in the city of Mashhad (the second largest city in Iran) on December 14, 1960. As a young man, he was a supporter of the Islamic Revolution of 1978-79 and reportedly took part in the student rebellion.
After graduating from an Islamic school in Qom and finishing his studies in Islamic law in Shaheed Motahari university, Raisi pursued a career in the country’s judicial system, serving as deputy prosecutor of Tehran from 1985 until 1989. He was later appointed to the position of a prosecutor of Tehran.
In 1994, he became the head of Iran’s General Inspection Organization, a position he held until 2004 when he was appointed a deputy Chief Justice of Iran. From 2012 until 2021, Raisi also held the office of the prosecutor general of the country's Special Court for the Clergy.
Presidential Term
In 2021, Raisi, who represented the conservative Combatant Clergy Association Group, was elected President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, winning about 62% of votes.
During his presidency, Raisi advocated closer ties with Russia and China and sought to mend ties with Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia, reestablishing diplomatic relations with Riyad. Under his leadership, Iran bolstered its ability to protect its interests and sovereignty, including in its set of tools not just diplomacy, but also military force.
