Vice Iranian President Mohamad Mokhber assumes executive authority

CAIRO – 20 May 2024: Mohamad Mokhber, first vice to late President Ebrahim Raisi, announced on Monday to assume executive authority in Iran per the constitution.

Ali Bagheri was also appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs instead of late Minster Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Funeral ceremony for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is to be held, Tuesday in the city of Tabriz.

Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei declared five days of national mourning following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Guardian Council Spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif said that with the Supreme Leader’s approval, a council consisting of the Iranian judiciary chief, parliament speaker, and vice president will take measures to hold elections within 50 days.

He said that as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said, “The Iranian nation shouldn’t be worried. There will be no disruption to the operations of the country.”

According to Article 131 of the Constitution of Iran, in case of death, dismissal, resignation, absence, or illness lasting longer than two months of the president, or when his term in office has ended and a new president has not been elected due to some impediments, or similar other circumstances, his vice president shall assume, with the approval of the Leader, the powers and functions of the president.

In case of the death of the vice president, or other matters which prevent him from performing his duties, or when the president does not have a vice president, the Supreme Leader shall appoint another person in his place.

The helicopter carrying President Raisi and his accompanying delegation crashed on Sunday in the Dizmar forest in East Azarbaijan Province, claiming the lives of all on board.

Search and rescue teams scoured the mountainous terrain in heavy fog overnight and found the wreckage early on Monday.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and several other officials were also on board.