Following the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Cabinet has assured that the nation’s government will be running “without any disruptions”. The order of things will now be maintained under the former vice-president and now interim President of the state, Mohammed Mokhber.
In terms of his public image, Mohkber is viewed as somewhat similar to the supreme leader Al-Khomeni as was Raisi. A new election is set to be held within 50 days of the President’s death. Until this, Mokhber will remain the interim-president. He is currently part of a three person council along with speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary.
Mokhber first became the vice president when Raisi was appointed Presidency in 2021. He was also a part of the team of officials sent to Moscow last October agreeing on the supply of missiles etc, to Russia’s military. Before becoming the vice president, Mohammed Mokhber was head of Setad. Setad is an invetsment fund that inks back to the supreme leader. This body is formally recognised as Setad Ejraiye Farmane Hazrate Emam reflecting that it is the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam. This was set up on orders of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Khamenei’s predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In 2013, the US Treasury Department included Setad and the 37 companies it managed in a list of sanctioned entities. In 2010 the European Union sanctioned Mokhber for alleged involvement in nuclear or ballistic missile activities. He was removed from the list two years later.
After the surprising demise of President, other than Mokhber, other potential contenders have surfaced. Such as Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who has harbored presidential aspirations for some time. However, Qalibaf, a technocrat with a record of corruption accusations, may encounter obstacles in his quest for the presidency.
