Iran is set to hold a presidential election on June 28, following a meeting chaired by Tehran’s interim president, Mohammad Mokhber. The meeting included the heads of the branches of power.
This development comes after the tragic death of Ebrahim Raisi, a leading candidate to succeed the new supreme leader, in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border. In the wake of Raisi’s death, candidate registration will take place from May 30 to June 3, with the election campaign running from June 12 to 27.
READ MORE: US Unable to Assist Iran After Helicopter Crash Due to ‘Logistical Reasons’
According to Article 131 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a council is formed to manage the country’s executive affairs for 50 days and prepare for the presidential elections. Following the tragedy, Mohammad Mokhber has assumed the role of interim president. Mokhber, previously the first vice president, is part of a three-person council along with the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, tasked with organizing a new presidential election within the next two months.
Reports indicate that Mokhber is a close aide of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and served as the first vice president in 2021 when Raisi was elected president. Mokhber is known for his extensive experience, having visited Russia in October to negotiate Iran’s supply of surface-to-surface missiles and drones to the Kremlin. He is also a member of the Expediency Discernment Council and has previously held positions as the deputy governor of Khuzestan Province and the chief of the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO).
Additionally, Mokhber served in the medical corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq war.
