President of Iran Raisi laid to rest near holy site.
Following several mourning ceremonies, Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, is laid to rest in Mashhad - as per state media, this took place in the presence of an alleged three million people. He receives a unique religious honor. Meanwhile, the race for his successor heats up in Tehran.
Recently deceased Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, has been interred in his hometown of Mashhad, situated in the northeastern region of the country. Iran's official broadcaster, Irib, reports that Raisi was buried beside the tomb of the eighth Shiite Imam Reza in this location - this is considered the most important Shiite pilgrimage site in Iran. A gathering purportedly made up of three million individuals attended Raisi's funeral ceremony in Mashhad, though independent estimates were unavailable.
On the same day, Raisi, Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian, and seven other passengers were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in the northwestern part of the country. The Foreign Minister was buried in the capital, Tehran. Earlier, a highly organized state funeral service for the President took place in his home province of Khorasan, with tens of thousands participating. The city of Birjand, which Raisi had a close connection with, served as the penultimate stop on the funeral procession tour. This was explained by Iran's Vice President, Mohsen Mansuri. Raisi had previously represented Birjand on the influential clerical body known as the Council of Experts.
Hamas Leader Pays Respects in Tehran
On Wednesday, another funeral service was held in Tehran, which was attended by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Additionally, a religious ceremony took place at Tehran University, followed by a gathering for foreign representatives visiting Tehran. The Emir of Qatar, Egypt's foreign minister, the head of Hamas, and the chairman of the Russian Duma expressed their condolences to the deceased leader.
Missing from the mourning ceremony were the last three Iranian presidents. Mohammed Khatami (1997-2005), Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013), and Hassen Ruhani (2013-2021) were all allegedly excluded from the ceremonies due to their constant criticism of Raisi and his ultra-conservative policies.
Successor to Emerge on June 28th
The election of Raisi's successor is scheduled to take place on June 28th. It's predicted that moderate politicians will once again be sidelined before the polls, with an arch-conservative candidate gaining the top spot. The most likely contender is Mohammed Mochber, acting as interim president until the contest. As Raisi's close associate, his continuation of current policies is highly probable. Few Iranians hold out hope for political change under him, or any future arch-conservative president.
While government supporters mourn Raisi's passing, Iranian critics bring up his past. During his tenure as Prosecutor General in 1988, he is held accountable for the execution of numerous dissidents. Raisi also demonstrated a negative stance against women's rights during his time as President.
In the eyes of many analysts, Raisi was the weakest President in the Islamic Republic's forty-five-year history. Since taking office in 2021, he has caused Iran to become more isolated politically on the global stage and has led the country into its worst economic crisis in its history. Under his leadership, the Iranian currency, the rial, suffered a substantial drop in value, as well as exorbitant inflation.
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After his interment in Mashhad, Ebrahim Raisi's influence continues in Tehran as the race for his successor intensifies. Despite the three million people in attendance at Raisi's funeral in Mashhad, his absence is notably felt at the upcoming election in Tehran, scheduled for June 28th.
Source: www.ntv.de
