Mohammad Mokhber, aged 68, is poised to assume the role of interim president of Iran, following the tragic demise of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, as per the country’s constitutional provisions.
As interim president, Mokhber will form part of a tripartite council, alongside the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, entrusted with orchestrating a new presidential election within 50 days of the incumbent president’s passing.
Born on September 1, 1955, Mokhber shares a close affiliation with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, akin to his predecessor Raisi, with Khamenei wielding ultimate authority over state affairs. Mokhber assumed the position of first vice president in 2021, coinciding with Raisi’s presidency.
Mokhber’s diplomatic involvement includes a significant visit to Moscow in October, during which Iranian officials, including representatives from the Revolutionary Guards and the Supreme National Security Council, brokered agreements to supply surface-to-surface missiles and drones to Russia’s military, according to Reuters sources.
Previously, Mokhber served as the head of Setad, an investment fund associated with the supreme leader. Setad, officially known as Setad Ejraiye Farmane Hazrate Emam (the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam), was established under a directive by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei’s predecessor. It was tasked with the sale and management of properties purportedly abandoned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with proceeds primarily allocated to charitable endeavors.
Mokhber’s past engagements have attracted international attention, with the European Union and the US Treasury Department levying sanctions against him and Setad for alleged involvement in nuclear and ballistic missile activities. Despite initial sanctions, Mokhber was removed from the EU’s list in 2012, while Setad faced continued scrutiny and sanctions from the US Treasury Department in 2013.
