Iran's President Raisi Has Died. What Now?

The death of the Iranian president will not significantly impact Iran's regional strategy, but will increase uncertainty surrounding the country's looming supreme leader succession -- something that could result in a more durable hard-line domestic and foreign policy shift. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed May 19 when a helicopter carrying him and eight other people crashed in Iran's remote northwestern East Azerbaijan province in what strongly appears to have been an accident amid bad weather. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also died in the incident. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced on May 20 five days of mourning following Raisi's death and appointed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber acting president. Under the Iranian Constitution, Mokhber will organize a new presidential election within 50 days. Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, who had previously led negotiations with the West over Iran's nuclear program, was appointed acting foreign minister....