Following the unexpected death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his team in a plane crash, questions arise about the procedures and institutions managing the transitional phase.
Iran has previously faced sudden presidential vacancies twice: in June 1981, when President Abolhassan Banisadr was dismissed by the parliament, and in August of the same year, when his successor, Mohammad Ali Rajai, was assassinated by a bomb.
The current debate highlights the extent to which the Iranian political system relies on the authority of the president and whether the institutional system can maintain stability in the temporary absence of the president.
The Accident Details
On Sunday morning, rescue teams found the wreckage of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation after a 15-hour search.
According to Iranian news agency “Tasnim,” Raisi and his delegation had visited East Azerbaijan and inaugurated the “Qiz Qalasi” dam, a joint project with Azerbaijan.
The helicopter crashed while returning to Tabriz to launch a refinery improvement project, crashing in the Dizmar forests in East Azerbaijan province.
The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, explained that rescue forces from various agencies cooperated to find the wreckage of the helicopter in an operation that lasted for hours.
Kolivand mentioned that the operational area was very large and under difficult weather conditions, noting that more than 2000 soldiers participated in the search for the presidential helicopter without using the capabilities or equipment of any foreign country.
The Iranian news agency reported that the incident resulted in the death of the Iranian president, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Imam of Jumu’ah of Tabriz Ayatollah Al-Hashem, East Azerbaijan Governor Malik Rahmati, the head of the President’s Protection Unit, and a member of the Revolutionary Guard.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Supreme Leader declared five days of national mourning.
What Does the Iranian Constitution Say About the Vacancy of The Presidency?
According to an explanation published by the official IRNA news agency, the Iranian constitution addresses any emergency arising from the vacancy of the presidency in the country, according to Article 131. This article states that the First Vice President shall “perform the duties of the President and enjoy his powers with the approval of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.”
Article 131 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran outlines the procedure for handling any emergency resulting from a vacancy in the presidency. It states that “In the event of the death, dismissal, resignation, absence, or illness of the President for more than two months, or in case the presidential term ends without a new President being elected due to certain obstacles or other similar reasons, the First Vice President shall perform the duties of the President and exercise his powers with the approval of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution.”
According to Article 131, a body consisting of the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Head of the Judiciary, and the First Vice President of the Republic must make the necessary arrangements to elect a new President within a maximum period of 50 days.
Article 132 of the constitution further defines the powers, stating:
“During the period in which the First Deputy to the President of the Republic, or another person appointed under Article 131, assumes the responsibilities and powers of the President, ministers cannot be questioned or have confidence withdrawn from them. Additionally, constitutional amendments or the issuance of orders for a public referendum in the country cannot be undertaken.”
But What Do We Know About the Interim President of Iran?
, born on September 1, 1955, in Dezful, Khuzestan Province, grew up in a religious family and received his education in Dezful and Ahvaz, earning a Ph.D. in International Law. He served in the medical corps of the Revolutionary Guards during the Iran-Iraq war and held various leadership positions, including CEO of Dezful Telecommunications Company and Deputy Governor of Khuzestan Province.
In the early 2000s, Mokhber entered key decision-making centers by being appointed Deputy Chairman of the Commercial Division of the Mostazafan Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Sina Bank. According to the Washington Post, he has close ties with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who appointed him in 2007 as CEO of the Setad organization. In 2010, the European Union imposed sanctions on Mokhber for his connections to Iran’s ballistic missile program.
In 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned him for his financial role in “systematic corruption and mismanagement” in Iran.
Six months after Washington announced the sanctions, Mokhber assumed the position of First Vice President.
Following the official announcement of the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian Supreme Leader appointed the late President’s First Vice President, Mohammad Mokhber, to assume the duties of the presidency, in accordance with Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution.
