With the death of Iran President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, the attention has turned towards his temporary successor, Mohammad Mokhber. The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a "hard landing" in the Dizmar forest between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, near its border with Azerbaijan, on Sunday.
The crashed chopper was also carrying country's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province, some other officials and bodyguards.
While circumstances under which the chopper crashed remained unclear, Iran Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi initially said the helicopter “was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog.” Weather conditions also delayed the search operations.
Iran state TV said on Monday there was 'no sign of life' detected at crash site of the helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi and the others. Later, the death of all the passengers of the chopper, including Ebrahim Raisi, was confirmed.
Iran President Raisi Dead, Who Succeeds Him
Ebrahim Raisi was seen as a protégé to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a potential successor for his position within the country's Shiite theocracy.
As per the Iranian constitution, after Ebrahim Raisi's death, the country's first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, becomes interim president now. Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution states that in the event of the President's death, the First Vice President temporarily assumes the presidency.
Mokhber was on Monday approved as Iran interim president
This reportedly needed the approval of the Supreme Leader after the sitting president is confirmed deceased or incapacitated.
An election must now be arranged within 50 days, according to information cited in an Al-Jazeera report.
Iran was scheduled to hold presidential elections in 2025. Khamenei, however, publicly assured Iranians that there would be “no disruption to the operations of the country” as a result of the crash.
Who Is Mohammad Mokhber
With the Iran President Ebrahim Raisi dead in his chopper's crash, attention has turning toward Mohammad Mokhber, the First Vice President of the country, who has succeeded him, according to the rules laid down in country's Constitution.
Mokhber was born on September 1, 1955, in the Dezful region of Khuzestan Province of Iran.
According to information gathered from local media, Mokhber previously headed a bonyad, Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO), and holds several high academic degrees.
Before being appointed to his current position on August 8, 2021, Mohammad Mokhber served as the head of EIKO for 14 years from July 15, 2007, according to shafaq.com.
Mokhber also held positions as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Khuzestan Telecommunications Company, Managing Director of Dezful Telecommunications Company, Deputy Minister of Trade and Transport for the Foundation of the Deprived, and Deputy Governor of Khuzestan, as per the report.
He reportedly holds two doctoral degrees, one in International Law and the other in Management. He also has a Master's degree in Management focusing on systems.
Mokhber, A Politician With Low-Key Profile
According to information in an Associated Press report, Mokhber has largely has been in the shadows compared to other politicians in Iran's Shiite theocracy. However, despite his low-key public profile, Mokhber has held prominent positions with in the country's power structure, particularly in its bonyads, or charitable foundations.
Those groups were fuelled by donations or assets seized after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, particularly those previously associated with Iran's shah or those in his government, the AP report said.
The US Treasury said the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order organisation led by Mokhber oversaw billions of dollars in assets as “a business juggernaut under the direct supervision of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that has a stake in nearly every sector of the Iranian economy, including energy, telecommunications, and financial services”.
“EIKO has systematically violated the rights of dissidents by confiscating land and property from opponents of the regime, including political opponents, religious minorities, and exiled Iranians,” AP cited Treasury 2021 statement in sanctioning Mokhber. The European Union also had sanctioned Mokhber for a time with others over concerns then about Iran's nuclear programme.
As the head of EIKO, Mokhber oversaw an effort to make a Covid-19 vaccine during the height of the pandemic, pledging to make tens of millions of doses. Only a fraction of that ever made it to the public, without explanation.
