 (Photo: Islamic Republic News Agency) |
State media report that a helicopter carrying Iran President Ebrahim Raisi had a "hard landing" amidst bad weather. Rescue teams reportedly are struggling to reach the mountainous and forested site. Raisi was returning from a visit to the Iran-Azerbaijan border. If Raisi is dead or incapacitated, there will need to be an emergency succession in Iran.
How Would Presidential Succession Occur?
Raisi's demise, if confirmed, would not the first death of a sitting Iranian president, In 1981, the Mojahedin-e Khalq of Iran assassinated President Mohammad-Ali Rajai. The Islamic Republic's constitution simply states that when a president dies, a new president "would be chosen." In 1981, authorities called a new election but, in 1989, an amended constitution gave the Supreme Leader, currently Ali Khamenei, further power to decide. Under the current constitution, there is no mandate for a new election. If the president is dead or unable to perform his duties for longer than two months, the first vice president, the speaker of the parliament, and the chief justice, with the consent of the Supreme Leader, form a council to choose the succession mechanism.
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Shay Khatiri is vice president of development and a senior fellow at the Yorktown Institute
