The Iranian government assured this Monday that death of President Ibrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash in the province of East Azerbaijan, located in the north-west of the country“It won’t cause the slightest concern in governing the nation.

“We guarantee to our faithful and beloved nation that The path of service will continue in accordance with the tireless spirit of Ayatollah Raisi. a hero and servant of the nation (…) and with the help of Almighty God and the cooperation of honest people, there will not be the slightest irregularity in the governance of the country,” he said.

Thus, in a statement published on his website, he indicated that “the President, a tireless worker who has done nothing but serve the great people of Iran for the development and progress of the country, “He kept his promise and sacrificed his life for the nation.”

The Iranian executive confirmed the death of everyone in the device, including Foreign Secretary, Hossein Amirabdolahian; Governor of East Azerbaijan, Malik Rahmati Ayatollah Mohamad Ali Ale Hashem, the imam in charge of Friday prayers in Tabriz, and other security members and crew.

The helicopter crashed on Sunday afternoon in a hard-to-reach area, The incident was initially described as a “forced landing”.

Search effortswhich is complicated by the presence of fog and rain, They were supported by several countries, including Türkiye, which sent drones to locate the remains of the device.

Iran is entering a transition period before holding presidential elections within 50 days.

The death of Iran’s president shocked the country in the interim which will still be headed by Vice President Mohamad Moiber, who will last for a maximum of 50 dayswhen the population must go to the polls to choose their successor.

Raisi appointed president of the country after winning the 2021 elections, when he replaced the moderate Hassan Rohani, who had already served two terms, after leading overwhelming victory after the main reformist and moderate candidates were dropped from the race, marking the return to power of ultra-conservatives in the Central Asian country.

Although the next elections were scheduled for the following year, his death in the aforementioned helicopter crash forces constitutional provisions that provide for holding elections in less than two months.

“In the event of the death, dismissal, resignation, absence or illness of the President lasting more than two months, or when his term of office has expired without the election of a new President due to any impediment, or under similar circumstances, His first vice president will take office with the approval of the leader (the Supreme Leader of Iran).powers and functions of the President,” says Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution.

The same article provides the creation of a “council” consisting of the President of the Consultative Assembly, head of the judiciary and first vice president, who will “organize the election of a new president within a maximum period of 50 days,” to which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had already given his approval early in the morning. day.

Moreover, Article 132 of the Magna Carta of Iran states that “during the period during which the powers and duties of the President are appointed to their first vice-president or other person in accordance with Article 131.– which gives the Supreme Leader the power to appoint a person in charge in the event of death or vacancy in the office of the Vice President – ​​ministers cannot be questioned and no vote of no confidence can be passed against them.

“It is also impossible to take steps to revise the Constitution and not hold national referendumss”, is emphasized in the Magna Carta, approved in 1979 after the success of the Islamic Revolution, which brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power, and amended in 1989 after his death and Khamenei’s ascension as the new supreme leader, which has remained in place ever since . then.

Early this Monday The government declared five days of national mourning for the event. and emphasized that “in accordance with Article 131 of the Constitution, Moiber will head the executive branch.” “He is obliged to cooperate with the leaders of the legislative and judicial branches to facilitate the election of a new president within a maximum period of 50 days,” he recalled.

Impact on Khamenei’s succession process

Except, Raisi’s death will affect Khamenei’s future successionwho turned 85 last month and has been in power since 1989, given that the late president was in all the pools as one of the top favorites to take over the job.

Raisi, 63, is a leading figure among Iran’s ultra-conservative clerics. He was a figure very close to Khamenei. who, as supreme leader, has the final say in matters of diplomacy, military strategy and domestic politics in a country in which the Revolutionary Guard also has great importance.

There have been rumors in recent years that Raisi or Mojtaba Khamenei, one of the supreme leader’s sons, could succeed him after his death. The person selected will be the third person to hold the position since 1979.

HoweverRaisi’s death paved the way for Mojtaba Khamenei, 54, to become that man. and a professor of theology at Qom Seminary, from where he supported former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his 2005 and 2009 election victories.

In any case, the appointment of Iran’s supreme leader depends on the Assembly of Experts, consisting of 88 clerics. All of them must be appointed by the Board of Trustees.who are appointed directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader himself, giving Khamenei important weight in his succession process.

In fact, Khomeini would have had an important influence on the appointment of Khamenei as his successor, andespecially as a result of growing disagreements with his then “number two”Hossein Ali Montazeri, who criticized the wave of executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.

The Constitution of Iran, at least in Article 111, reflects that “in the event of the death, resignation or dismissal of the leader, the experts – in relation to the members of the Assembly of Experts – “They must take steps to appoint a new leader as soon as possible.” a period during which a temporary “council” would be created to serve until the election of Khamenei’s successor.

(according to information from Europe Press)