Monday, May 20 2024 11:01

ArmInfo. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash, an Iranian official and Mehr news agency reported on Monday. Below is a brief outline of what Iran's constitution says happens when a president is incapacitated or dies in office:

If a president dies in office, article 131 of the Islamic Republic's  constitution says that the first vice president - who is Mohammad  Mokhber - takes over, with the confirmation of the supreme leader,  who has the final say in all matters of state in Iran.

A council consisting of the first vice president, the speaker of  parliament and the head of the judiciary must arrange an election for  a new president within a maximum period of 50 days.

First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, 69, will assume the presidency  in an interim capacity. Mokhber, a seasoned political figure with  close ties to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has a history of  significant influence within the regime. He formerly headed the  Setad, a powerful state-owned foundation, and holds advanced degrees  in international law and management.

Mohammad Mokhber, born on September 1, 1955, is a figure deeply  entrenched in Iran's political and economic spheres. He assumed the  role of first vice president in 2021 following Raisi's election.  Mokhber's tenure at Setad, an organisation initially created to  manage properties confiscated after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has  been marked by controversy and sanctions. 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.

Raisi was elected president in 2021 and, under the usual timetable, a  presidential election had been due to take place in 2025. Under  constitutional rules, it can now be expected to take place by early  July.