Displaying items by tag: Ebrahim Raisi

On 21 May Iran began five days of national mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi, as it grappled with the news of his sudden death at a time of heightened regional tensions and domestic uncertainty. Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and six others were killed in a helicopter crash in a remote part of the country on 19 May. The shock incident wiped out two of the country's key political figures, raising questions about what the future might be after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Thousands of mourners gathered for the first funeral event; the next day, declared a national holiday, a funeral was held in Tehran, with high-ranking foreign dignitaries attending. Funerals were held in two more cities on 23 May, and Raisi will be laid to rest in his hometown Mashhad on 24 May. However, many Iranians have celebrated the president’s death, with fireworks set off in several cities and people dancing in the streets. Raisi’s hardline administration was characterised by brutal punishments and a harsh crackdown on female dress codes. See

19 rockets fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel on 7 August sent local residents into the towns’ shelters. These barrages, the first since the 2006 second Lebanon War, followed similar attacks the previous day. More provocations from Tehran by the new hard-line leader, Ebrahim Raisi, and his proxies increase the likelihood of Israel’s retaliation. The defence minister recently indicated that Israel is ready to counter Iran's aggression. The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said the situation is ‘very serious’ and urged everyone to cease fire. But on 11 August rockets were fired again from Lebanon into Israel, which increases the threat of major hostilities after fifteen years. Pray for an end to these ongoing games of brinkmanship so that harmony between Israel and Hezbollah holds. May the prospect of full-scale war be a disincentive for either side to push too far.

The election of Ebrahim Raisi, sanctioned by America for his involvement in mass executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, became more of a coronation after his strongest competitors found themselves disqualified from running. That sparked calls for a boycott, and many stayed home. 28.9 million voted out of 59 million eligible voters, and 3.7 million voided their ballots. The low turnout and voided ballots suggest unhappiness with the tightly-controlled election, as activists criticised Raisi's ascension. Those casting ballots received stamps on their birth certificates. Not having a stamp could affect their ability to apply for jobs and scholarships, or to hold onto their positions in the government or the security forces. Iran accused Washington of claiming that last week’s election was neither free nor fair. Amnesty International wants Raisi investigated for crimes against humanity, murder, enforced disappearance and torture. See