Ebrahim Raisi, a 63-year-old hardline religious cleric, was elected president of Iran in 2021. During his tenure as president, he developed a strategy to expand Iran’s regional influence—supporting militant proxies in the Middle East and accelerating the country’s nuclear development. plan and brought the country to the brink of war with Israel.
But during the same period, Iran experienced its largest anti-government protests in decades, as well as a severe economic recession caused by international sanctions and high unemployment.
Mr Raisi is seen as a possible successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, the highest political and religious position in the Islamic republic.
What is Mr Raisi’s background?
Born in 1960 to a devoutly religious family in the eastern city of Mashhad, Mr. Raisi was deeply influenced by the fervor of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the country’s monarchy in 1979.
A religious scholar in the country’s theocratic government and a protégé of Mr Khamenei, Mr Raisi has risen through the ranks of the country’s judiciary, serving as a prosecutor in several cities.
After being appointed Iran’s top judge, he is believed to have been a member of a small committee that ordered the executions of thousands of political dissidents in 1988.
Mr Lacey has been accused of decades of human rights abuses and is subject to punitive US sanctions.
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How was Mr. Lacey’s presidency?
During Raisi’s term as president, Iran faced massive anti-government protests after a young Kurdish woman, Mahesa Amini, died in police custody. The authorities responded with a brutal crackdown that included killings and executions.
Tehran also continues its uranium enrichment program Continue implementation of ballistic missile program. Iran’s years-long shadow war with Israel erupted last month after it launched hundreds of missiles and drones at the country. The attack came as tensions between the two countries escalated after the Iran-backed militant group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October.
