What is known about the new leader of Iran, Mohammad Mokhber?

What is known about the new leader of Iran, Mohammad Mokhber?

After the death of Ibrahim Raisi, for the first time in the history of Iran, his vice-president, 68-year-old Mohammad Mokhber, writes Al-Arabiya. He will become one of the members of the three-member State Council, which will make decisions together with the head of the Ministry of Justice and the Speaker of the Parliament. However, the last word, as before, remains with the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei.

Mokhber became the vice president in 2021 when Ibrahim Raisi was elected as the country's president. He is close to Ayatollah Khamenei and has good relations with Vladimir Putin. In October last year, Mohammad Mokhber was part of the Iranian delegation that visited Moscow and negotiated the delivery of Iranian missiles to Russia. Previously, he worked at the Setad investment fund, which is close to Mohammad Mokhber Khomanei.

In 2010, the European Union sanctioned Mokhber for its involvement in the nuclear missile development program. However, two years later, the sanctions against the official were lifted. The United States imposed sanctions against Setad Investment Fund and 37 other Iranian companies in 2013.

Setad was established to manage property left behind by immigrants in the turbulent years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and funds from this property were later channeled to charity. However, according to the Constitution, the vice president will only be the head of the country for the next 50 days, during which time new elections must be organized and held.