What is Ebrahim Raisi known as?
President Raisi of Iran and his Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian are said to be on board a helicopter that has crashed in the northwestern region of the country. Supporters of the government are urging people to pray for Raisi's safety. Who, then, holds the second most powerful position in Iran?
Raisi, Iran's head of state since August 2021, is known as a conservative hardliner. He won the presidential election in June 2021 with 62% of the votes. The 63-year-old cleric assumed office after the term limit of the more moderate Hassan Rouhani.
Born in 1960 in Mashad in the northeastern part of Iran, Raisi is a key figure within the Islamic system and stays close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader. As per the constitution, while Raisi leads the government, Khamenei holds the ultimate authority on all strategic decisions.
Raisi held a role in the judicial authority for over 30 years and was appointed as the head of the judiciary in 2019. He has been alleged to have been involved in the arrests and execution of political dissidents during his tenure as a public prosecutor.
His actions came under criticism when massive protests erupted in Iran in 2022 following the death of an Iranian Kurdish woman, Jina Mahsa Amini, in police custody after her arrest for not adhering to Islamic dress codes. The ensuing demonstrations across the country prompted the security forces to respond violently and mete out harsh penalties. Countless protesters were detained, many were killed, and several were executed. These events plunged the political leadership into its most severe crisis in decades. Raisi blamed foreign players for inciting the chaos.
The European Union adopted sanctions against Iran on multiple occasions: for human rights abuses, as well as support to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. There is also rising apprehension about Iran's potential to become a nuclear power. Stalemates in international nuclear negotiations with Iran have made matters worse. Under Raisi's administration, ties with the West have also suffered.
Iran has a tense relationship with Israel. In April, Iran launched an attack on Israel, the first direct assault by Iran itself against Israel, not through regional proxies such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen or the Hezbollah group in Lebanon. This incident raised concerns of more developments that could lead to turmoil in the Middle East.
Raisi is married to Jamileh Alamolhada, who teaches education at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran. She is the wife of Raisi, who has two daughters.
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In light of the helicopter crash, concerns about President Raisi's safety have escalated, especially given his significant role in Iran's government. Despite the incident, Iran remains in a political crisis due to the violent suppression of widespread protests following a plane crash in 2022, which was allegedly linked to Raisi's judicial authority in the past.
Source: www.ntv.de
