Mohammad Mokhber, a well-known political figure with strong connections to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is set to take over as president after the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The accident occurred while they were traveling to Tabriz from the inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi Dam on the Iranian-Azerbaijani border.
According to the Iranian constitution, when a sitting president passes away, specific procedures are followed. First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, aged 69, will step in as interim president. Mokhber has significant experience in politics and has held influential positions in the regime. He previously led Setad, a powerful state-owned foundation, and holds advanced degrees in international law and management. A council consisting of Mokhber, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Judiciary Chief Ghollamhossein Mohseni Ezhei will oversee the organization of a new presidential election within 50 days. This transition must be approved by Supreme Leader Khamenei, who has assured the nation that state affairs will continue without interruption.
Born on September 1, 1955, Mohammad Mokhber has deep roots in Iran’s political and economic landscape. He took on the role of first vice president in 2021 after Raisi’s election. Mokhber’s time at Setad, an organization initially tasked with managing properties confiscated after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has been marked by controversy and sanctions. In 2010, he was included in the European Union’s sanctions list due to alleged involvement in nuclear and ballistic missile activities, although he was later removed from the list in 2012.
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