Mohammad Mokhber will lead Iran after a tragic helicopter crash killed President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The helicopter, carrying top officials, crashed while navigating mountainous terrain in heavy fog. They were en route to Tabriz after inaugurating the Qiz Qalasi Dam on the Iranian-Azerbaijani border.
Under the Iranian constitution, the death of a sitting president triggers specific protocols. Mohammad Mokhber, the First Vice President, will assume the presidency in an interim capacity. He is 69 years old and has close ties to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mohammad Mokhber is a seasoned political figure with significant influence within the regime. He formerly headed Setad, a powerful state-owned foundation, and holds advanced degrees in international law and management.
A council consisting of Mohammad Mokhber, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Judiciary Chief Ghollamhossein Mohseni Ezhei will organize a new presidential election within 50 days. Supreme Leader Khamenei must approve this transition. He reassured the nation that state affairs would continue without disruption.
Born on September 1, 1955, Mohammad Mokhber is deeply entrenched in Iran’s political and economic spheres. He became the First Vice President in 2021 following Raisi’s election. Mokhber’s tenure at Setad, an organization created to manage properties confiscated after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has been marked by controversy and sanctions. In 2010, the European Union sanctioned him for his alleged involvement in nuclear and ballistic missile activities. He was removed from the list two years later. In 2013, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Setad and 37 companies under its control.
Setad, formally known as Setad Ejraiye Farmane Hazrate Emam, was established by an order from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. The directive instructed aides to sell and manage properties purportedly abandoned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with most proceeds intended for charitable purposes.
Mohammad Mokhber was part of a team of Iranian officials who visited Moscow last year. They agreed to supply surface-to-surface missiles and more drones to Russia’s military. The team also included two senior officials from the Revolutionary Guards and an official from the Supreme National Security Council.
The sudden death of Raisi, seen as a close but uncharismatic ally of Khamenei, could significantly alter the balance of power within Iran. Besides Mohammad Mokhber, this opens the field for other contenders, including Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
