Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi died last night alongside the country’s foreign minister after their helicopter crashed in a mountainous area in the northwest of the country, state media announced. The pair had been returning from a trip to Azerbaijan, with rescue teams struggling to reach the crash site through rain and fog. Raisi, 63, is an ultraconservative cleric who was elected in 2021. He was also seen as a possible successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (who holds ultimate power in Iran). Khamenei said during the hours-long search for the crash site that there would be “no disruptions” in the country’s affairs or security. But Raisi’s death comes at an inflection point, with Iran experiencing economic misery, public discontent and rare direct attacks with Israel. Iran’s law states that if the president dies, power is transferred to the first vice president who must organise an election within 50 days. Expect infighting among hardliners, says Holly Dagres of the Atlantic Council.