Ebrahim Raisi, 63, a hardline religious cleric, was elected president of Iran in 2021. During his presidency, he has overseen a strategy to expand the country’s regional influence, including supporting extremist proxies across the Middle East and promoting the country’s nuclear arsenal. He carried out his plan and brought the country to the brink of war with Israel.
However, during the same period, Iran experienced its largest anti-government protests in decades and experienced a severe economic downturn due to international sanctions and high unemployment.
Raisi is seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s highest political and religious leader.
What is Mr. Raisi’s background?
Born in 1960 in the eastern city of Mashhad into a deeply pious family, Raisi was caught up in the fervor of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the country’s monarchy in 1979.
As a religious scholar in Iran’s theocratic government and a disciple of Ayatollah Khamenei, Raisi rose through the ranks of the judiciary, serving as a prosecutor in several cities.
After being named Iran’s top judge, he is believed to have been part of a small committee that ordered the execution of thousands of political dissidents in 1988.
Raisi has been accused of decades of human rights abuses and is subject to U.S. sanctions.
What did you think of Mr. Raisi’s inauguration as president?
During Raisi’s presidency, Iran faced massive anti-government protests after the death of a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody. Authorities responded with brutal repression, including killings and executions.
The Iranian government also continues its uranium enrichment program and advances its ballistic missile program.
Last month, Iran fired a volley of hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, sparking a years-long shadow war with Israel. The attack came as tensions between the two countries increased following an October 7 attack on Israel by the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas.
