BREAKING: Iranian President dead

Iran’s President Ebrahum Rasi has died in a helicopter crash flying over a mountainous area en route from the Qiz Qalasi dam to Tabriz. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was also killed in the accident. 

Raisi was seen as a candidate to succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Supreme leader so his death will raise the debate over who will be Khamenei’s successor. This conversation is even more pressing due to Mr. Khamenei’s declining health and the urgency to declare a successor. Looking at the instability in Iran and the weakness of the economy coupled with serious corruption, it does not appear that a new supreme leader will alter the direction already set by Mr. Khamenei. The main candidate to keep an eye on is Mr. Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba.

Vice-president Mohammad Mokhber will lead the government temporarily and an election for the new president will be held within 50 days. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has named Ali Bagheri as the acting foreign minister. 

Within Iran, citizens are taking to the streets to mourn Raisi’s death. The president was a polarizing figure, especially looking at his regime's treatment of women and was blamed for many of Iran's economic struggles, however sadness of his passing is reverberating throughout the nation. 

Putin has expressed his condolences to Iran, but was quick to contact the new interim President Mokhber to confirm their mutual goal of strengthening cooperation among the nations. Putin expresses the benefits of their relationship and is eager to see that the new government will not create any major changes in current policies. 

This relationship between Russia and Iran has sparked concern in the United States. After the failed nuclear deal in 2018, Iran has continued their development of nuclear weapons and has openly allied itself closer to American rivals creating tension between the two nations. 

Hamas leaders praised the late Iranian officials for their “honorable positions” in “backing our peoples struggle”. Other allies such as Lebanon and Syria expressed their sadness and called for a state of mourning among their people. 

This tragedy is not expected to result in any massive changes among the nations involvement in their allied Middle Eastern nations, nor impact their relationship with Russia. Additionally, people have been keeping their eye on oil prices, which have not been majorly affected by the crash.