Iran to hold elections after Raeisi death

Iran has announced it will hold presidential elections on June 28 following the death of Ebrahim Raeisi in a helicopter crash over the weekend.

Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will assume the role of interim president until then, as per the constitution of the Islamic Republic.

Raeisi and eight others, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, were killed in north-western Iran after their helicopter crashed in a mountainous area. The government blamed bad weather and dense fog.

Candidates can register from May 30 and individuals will be vetted by the Guardian Council, a 12-member body of clerics and jurists overseeing elections.

It’s unclear if Mokhber will run.

Iran analysts believe the clerical establishment and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will seek a president similar to Raeisi, who was a staunch enemy of US and Israel.

In recent elections, the Guardian Council has made it difficult for reformists to stand.