Ebrahim Raisi killed in helicopter crash, what happens if Iran's president dies in office?

(Patria) - After more than 10 hours of searching, rescuers found the wreckage of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

"No survivors have been found," at the crash site of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, reported Iran's state news agency IRINN and the semi-official Mehr News agency.

Next in the line of succession is First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, pending approval from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that "the Iranian people should not worry" about the country and expressed hope that Raisi and the others on the helicopter would be found in good health. The Iranian constitution outlines what happens if the president becomes incapacitated or dies in office.

According to Article 131 of the Constitution, if the president dies, the first vice president assumes his position, subject to confirmation by the Supreme Leader, who has the final say in all state matters.

A council consisting of the first vice president, the Speaker of Parliament, and the head of the judiciary must agree on holding elections for a new president within a maximum of fifty days.

Raisi was elected president in 2021, and according to the current schedule, presidential elections were due to be held in 2025. In Iran, the Supreme Leader, not the president, has the final say on all state matters, including foreign policy. Therefore, significant changes in the policies of the Islamic Republic are unlikely.