Following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and several other officials hours after their helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of the country’s northwest, the country’s first Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will stand as interim president.
Key Points About Mohammad Mokhber, Iran’s Interim President.
- Role as Interim President: Mohammad Mokhber, 68, Iran’s first vice president, is set to become interim president following the death of Ebrahim Raisi, according to the country’s constitution.
- Interim Presidential Council: As interim president, Mokhber will be part of a three-person council, along with the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, responsible for organising a new presidential election within 50 days.
- Close to Supreme Leader: Born on September 1, 1955, Mokhber is considered close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate authority in Iran.
- First Vice President: Mokhber became the first vice president in 2021 when Ebrahim Raisi was elected president.
- Military and Diplomatic Engagement: Mokhber was part of a delegation that visited Moscow in October to discuss supplying surface-to-surface missiles and drones to Russia, indicating his involvement in significant military and diplomatic activities.
- Setad: Before becoming vice president, Mokhber was the head of Setad, an investment fund linked to the supreme leader.
- Sanctions by European Union: In 2010, the European Union sanctioned Mokhber for alleged involvement in nuclear or ballistic missile activities, although he was removed from the sanctions list two years later.
- US Treasury Sanctions: In 2013, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Setad and 37 companies it managed.
- Setad’s Origin and Purpose: Setad, officially known as Setad Ejraiye Farmane Hazrate Emam, was established by an order from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, to manage properties abandoned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and to channel proceeds to charity.