This handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi shows him addressing and giving the annual address to the nation for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in Tehran on 20 March, 2024.
This handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi shows him addressing and giving the annual address to the nation for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in Tehran on 20 March, 2024.
Middle East

What happens in Iran when a president dies in office?

Reuters

Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash, an Iranian official and Mehr news agency reported on Monday. Below is a brief outline of what Iran's constitution says happens when a president is incapacitated or dies in office: 

* If a president dies in office, article 131 of the Islamic Republic's constitution says that the first vice president - who is Mohammad Mokhber - takes over, with the confirmation of the supreme leader, who has the final say in all matters of state in Iran.

Also read:Who is Mohammad Mokhber, the man set to become Iran's interim president?

* A council consisting of the first vice president, the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary must arrange an election for a new president within a maximum period of 50 days.

Raisi was elected president in 2021 and, under the usual timetable, a presidential election had been due to take place in 2025. Under constitutional rules, it can now be expected to take place by early July.

Also read:Reactions to the death of Iran's president in a helicopter crash
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