Who Is Mohammad Mokhber? The Man Set To Become Interim President Of Iran After Raisi's Demise

Mohammad Mokhber, currently Iran's first vice president, is poised to become interim president following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

According to the Iranian constitution, Mokhber will join a three-person council, along with the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, to organise a new presidential election within 50 days.

Mokhber, like Raisi, is known for his close ties to supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who holds the ultimate authority in Iranian state matters. Mokhber's rise to the position of first vice president came in 2021 when Raisi was elected president.

In October, Mokhber was part of a delegation of Iranian officials who visited Moscow. During this visit, they agreed to supply Russia's military with surface-to-surface missiles and additional drones, according to sources who spoke with Reuters.

This delegation also included two senior officials from Iran's Revolutionary Guards and a Supreme National Security Council official.

Before his tenure as vice president, Mokhber was the head of Setad, an investment fund associated with the supreme leader.

Setad, formally known as Setad Ejraiye Farmane Hazrate Emam (the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam), was established under a directive from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.

The fund's purpose was to sell and manage properties allegedly abandoned during the tumultuous period following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, directing most of the proceeds to charitable causes.

Mokhber's career has not been without controversy. In 2010, the European Union sanctioned him, along with other individuals and entities, for alleged involvement in "nuclear or ballistic missile activities".

However, he was removed from the EU's sanctions list two years later. In 2013, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Setad and 37 companies it managed.

Mokhber's extensive experience and close connections within Iran's political and military spheres make him a significant figure in the country's governance, especially in times of crisis.