Mohammad Mokhber, 68, Iran's first vice president, has been appointed interim president following the tragic death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. Mokhber, along with the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, is part of a council that will organize new presidential elections within 50 days.
Like Raisi, Mokhber is considered close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all state affairs. In 2021, Mokhber became the first vice president when Raisi was elected president.
Mokhber is also known for being part of a group of Iranian officials who visited Moscow in October to finalize agreements to supply surface-to-surface missiles and drones to the Russian military. He previously headed Setad, an investment fund linked to Iran's supreme leader.
In 2013, the U.S. Treasury Department placed the Setad fund and 37 companies under its control on the list of sanctioned entities.
Recall, the helicopter in which Raisi and high-ranking Iranian officials were flying crashed on May 19 in the province of East Azerbaijan, in northwestern Iran. All passengers were killed in the crash, including, as reported by Mehr news agency and the head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. A total of eight people were on board, including members of the presidential security service and crew members. The causes of the crash have not yet been reported, an investigation is underway.
