New Delhi: After the death of Iranian President Ebrahim, vice-president Mohammad Mokhbar has been appointed as the acting president of Iran. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the announcement of Mokhber's appointment in a condolence message he shared for Raisi's death in the crash Sunday.

President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, along with other leaders were killed after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country's northwest on Sunday. The incident happened when Raisi, along with his colleagues, was returning on Sunday after travelling to Iran's border with Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.

Mokhber's Transition to Top Post - What's Next?

Mokhbar's appointment has been made as per Article 131 of the Constitution of Iran, which suggests that if a president dies in office the first vice president takes over, with the confirmation of the supreme leader, who has the final say in all matters of state.

Once, Mokhber takes over the top post an election would be held for electing a new president within a maximum period of 50 days. The election will be conducted by a council consisting of the first vice president, the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary.

5 Things To Know About Mohammad Mokhber

Despite his low-key public profile, Mokhber has held prominent positions with in the country's power structure, particularly in its bonyads, or charitable foundations. Here are top five things to know about Mokhber; 

1. Mokhber was born on September 1, 1955 and is considered close to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. He was born to a clerical family in Dezful in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province. He served as an officer in the Revolutionary Guard's medical corps during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, according to the pressure group United Against Nuclear Iran.

2. Mohammad Mokhber became the first vice president of Iran in 2021 when Ebrahim Raisi was elected as the president of the country. He was expected to continue in the office of first vice-president till the next presidential elections which is due in 2025.

3. Mokhber, earlier, headed an investment fund linked with Iran's supreme leader - Setad, said reports. Mokhber has been a member of Iran's Expediency Council since 2022, which advises the supreme leader, as well as settles disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council, Iran's constitutional watchdog that also oversees the country's elections. Mokhber oversaw a bonyad known in English as the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order, or EIKO, referring to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

4. Mokhbar was subjected to sanctions in 2010 for his alleged involvement in nuclear activities, however, was later dropped from the list in 2012. Mokhbar has been actively involved in Iran's diplomatic front as well. Mokhbar aling with senior officals of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the Supreme National Security Council had visited Moscow last year. It was after this meeting that Iran agreed to supply surface-to-surface missiles and additional drones to Russia's military.

5. As the head of EIKO, Mokhber oversaw an effort to make a COVID-19 vaccine during the height of the pandemic, pledging to make tens of millions of doses. Only a fraction of that ever made it to the public, without explanation.

(With Agency Inputs)