The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will have severe consequences for the transfer of power to the supreme leader.
Raisi's death will have severe consequences for the succession of Iran's supreme leader
According to the institute, Raisi was considered one of the leading contenders to replace Ali Khamenei as Iran's supreme leader.
Khamenei appointed Raisi as head of the judiciary in 2019 and endorsed him in the August 2021 presidential election.
The next few days could change the near-term and long-term dynamics of the regime, including the succession of the supreme leader. However, Raisi's death will ultimately not change the regime's current trajectory of a more hardline and conservative domestic policy and a more aggressive regional policy, ISW analysts said.
What is known about the death of Iranian President Raisi
On May 19, several news agencies reported on the hard landing of the helicopter carrying the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The rescue operation to search for the helicopter lasted over 10 hours. According to media reports, one of the helicopter's passengers was allegedly communicating.
Later, Türkiye sent a UAV to search for the Iranian President and found the wreckage of the helicopter.
On May 20, the death of the President of Iran Raisi was confirmed by the country's Vice President Mansour.
According to Iranian and Western media, the debris found indicates that the helicopter completely burned up after falling in the mountainous area.
After Ebrahim Raisi's death, Mohammad Mokhber, the country's first vice president, became acting Iranian President.
