Conspiracy or Accident: How Iran President Ebrahim Raisi died

Conspiracy or accident, how did Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi die?

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has died at the age of 63 according to reports also corroborated by the government, in a helicopter crash. The tragic incident, which also claimed the lives of Iran’s foreign minister and seven others, occurred in a remote, mountainous region in the northwest of the country.

Ebrahim Raisi was the second-most powerful figure in the Islamic Republic, following Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the wake of this sudden loss, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has assumed the role of acting president, and top negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani has been appointed acting foreign minister.

The president’s death comes at a tumultuous time for the Middle East. This brings conspiracy into the picture as Ebrahim Raisi’s death comes just weeks prior, Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel in retaliation for a deadly strike on its diplomatic compound in Damascus.

A hardliner, Ebrahim Raisi ascended to the presidency in a historically uncompetitive election in 2021. His tenure was marked by increased repression of dissent amid a wave of youth-led protests challenging the country’s clerical rule.