President Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash comes at a turbulent time in Iran’s history as the country struggles with both internal dissent and rising regional insecurity. FRANCE 24 discusses Raisi’s legacy and the impact of his sudden death with Jonathan Piron, a historian specialising in Iran.
When he came to power in August 2021, Ebrahim Raisi was widely seen as the front-runner to succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s octogenarian supreme leader and the real seat of power in the country. Raisi’s sudden death in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran on Sunday raises questions about the Islamic Republic’s political future after a turbulent period that saw unprecedented displays of anti-regime discontent following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian-Kurdish woman, in September 2022.
