DNA Explainer: Why was Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi seen as possible successor to Ayatollah Khamenei?

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a conservative hard-line cleric infamous for his brutal crackdowns on political opposition and regarded as a potential successor to the supreme leader, died in a helicopter crash landing in northern Iran, state media stated on Monday. He was 63.

The helicopter crash comes amid the Middle East remaining perturbed by the Israel-Hamas war, during which Ebrahim Raisi, under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, launched an unexpected drone-and-missile attack on Israel just last month.

Often regarded as the “Butcher of Tehran” by activists, Ebrahim Raisi was accused of being one of the four judges ordering the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 after the Iran-Iraq war, a massacre Iran has never officially confirmed. He had been seen as a possible successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader.

The US Treasury Department, in a 2019 sanctions announcement, reported Ebrahim Raisi's participation in a "death commission" that commanded the extrajudicial executions of thousands of political prisoners.

During Ebrahim Raisi's term in office, Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels, further triggering tensions with the West as Tehran also delivered bomb-infused drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and armed militia groups across the country.

Iran has grappled with mass protests against its Shia theocracy over its regressive economy and women’s rights. 

A hard-liner who formerly headed the country’s judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi was seen as a protégé of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and could replace the 85-year-old leader after Khamenei’s death or resignation.

Ebrahim Raisi, who took office in August 2021 after the disqualification of numerous popular candidates in an election ravaged by historically low turnout, wore a black turban symbolising his descent from the Prophet Mohammad.

His presidency witnessed a crackdown on mass protests after the 2022 killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, strict implementation of women's dress codes, increased uranium enrichment, and escalating military conflicts with Israel and the West.

(With inputs from agencies)