Raishi is seen by many as the likely successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Ebrahim Raisi, 63, a hardline cleric, was elected president of Iran in 2021 when he succeeded moderate Hassan Rouhani. During his tenure as president, he has led a strategy to expand his country’s regional influence, supporting militant proxies across the Middle East and accelerating the country’s nuclear programs.
Raisi is seen as the likely successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, the highest political and religious position in the Islamic Republic.
He took over the reins of a country in deep social crisis and an economy devastated by US sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program.
Who is Raisi?
Raishi, born in the eastern city of Mashhad in 1960 to a devoutly religious family, supported Iran’s Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the country’s monarchy in 1979.
As a religious scholar in the country’s theocratic government and a protégé of Khamenei, Raisi rose through the ranks of the country’s judiciary, serving as a prosecutor in several cities.
As Iran’s top judge, he is believed to have been part of a small committee that ordered the execution of thousands of political dissidents in 1988.
Raisi had been accused of human rights abuses and had been sanctioned by the United States.
Raisi’s presidency
Iran has been in the throes of a wave of mass protests caused by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody by Iranian authorities in September 2022. In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia, regional rivals, signed a surprise agreement restoring diplomatic relations.
Israel’s war on Gaza has reignited regional tensions culminating in an escalation that threatened to trigger a wider regional conflict in the Middle East region with Tehran firing hundreds of missiles and rockets directly into Israeli territory from Iran in April 2024.
Tehran also continued its uranium enrichment program and advanced its ballistic missile program. The country’s long shadow war with Israel erupted last month after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. The attack stemmed from escalating tensions between the two countries following an October 7 raid by Hamas, an Iranian-backed militant group.
At the same time, Iran has also emerged as Russia’s most reliable foreign supplier of military drones. T
In 2023, Iran reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia and restored diplomatic relations.
Source :Skai
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