Iran's hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, a significant figure within the country's Shiite theocracy and often viewed as a potential successor to the Supreme Leader, drew renewed attention after his helicopter experienced a "hard landing" on Sunday, as reported by state media. This incident comes against the backdrop of international sanctions against Raisi due to his controversial past.
 
Raisi, now 63, previously headed Iran's judiciary and made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2017 against the relatively moderate Hassan Rouhani, who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. In the 2021 presidential election, Raisi won with nearly 62% of the vote amidst a historically low turnout, partly due to the disqualification of many prominent candidates.
 
 
His involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988 remains a critical and controversial aspect of his career. After the Iran-Iraq war cease-fire, Raisi was part of the "death commissions" that ordered the execution of thousands of prisoners. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned him in 2019 for his role in these events and other human rights abuses, including the torture of prisoners.
 
As president, Raisi has supported Iran's uranium enrichment to near-weapons-grade levels and resisted international inspections, escalating tensions with the West. He endorsed a large-scale attack on Israel in April, which involved over 300 drones and missiles, in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike in Damascus.
 
 
Raisi also backed the severe crackdown on dissent following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, a crackdown that resulted in over 500 deaths and the detention of more than 22,000 people. A UN panel attributed Amini's death to "physical violence" by Iranian authorities, further highlighting the government's oppressive measures.
 
Iran remains under the ultimate authority of the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Raisi's actions as president have significant implications for both domestic policies and international relations.
 
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