💡 SPOTLIGHT

Iran in crisis: What Raisi's sudden death means for the Middle East

The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash comes in an already tense context, five weeks after Iran's confrontation with Israel. The consequences are heavy, both in terms of regional and domestic conflicts, writes France Inter’s Pierre Haski.

The sudden and unexpected death of a head of state is a test for any nation, wherever in the world it may be. But the tension is even more palpable when it happens in a key country like Iran, and in a context as unstable and troublesome as the Middle East since October 7.

The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash is one of those events that ignite a crisis within a crisis, at a time of war and dangerous rivalries. Firstly, because the circumstances are favorable to all sorts of conspiracy theories. Until further notice, this was an accident, in bad weather with a U.S.-made helicopter from half a century ago — near the border of Azerbaijan after the inauguration of a dam between the two nations. Nothing in the official communication, or in the known facts, suggests this was an attack.

But there's no doubt that this hypothesis will spread, as the country was in direct confrontation with Israel only five weeks ago. Such speculation began even before the president's death was confirmed.

To measure the political importance of this nation's president, we need to look at the complexity of Iranian power, a unique, theocratic system. In Iran, the elected president is not the top public figure: that would be the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The President runs the State, but has limited authority and refers to the Ayatollah for important matters, such as national security. [...]

— Read the full article by Pierre Haski for France Inter, translated into English by Worldcrunch.

🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

Tehran-based newspaper Ham-Mihan dedicates its front page to the deadly helicopter crash of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian near the Azerbaijan border, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei assuring the nation of continued stability. A government cabinet statement also emphasized that the government's operations will proceed uninterrupted.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Iran president Ebrahim Raisi killed in helicopter crash. State media confirmed the helicopter, which was heading to the city of Tabriz on Sunday, crashed in heavy fog in the north of the country after a “hard landing” incident. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several others were also killed in the crash that left no survivors. Iran declared five days of national mourning, with the funerals expected to be held on Tuesday in Tabriz. Iran’s supreme leader appointed the country's first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, as acting president on Monday, while an election is expected to take place in the next 50 days.

• Israeli airstrike kills 27 in central Gaza, with plans set to broaden ground operation in Rafah. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was quoted as saying to visiting U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that Israel was committed to expanding its military operation there “to the end of dismantling Hamas and recovering the hostages.” Over the weekend, Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, threatened to quit the government on June 8 if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t formulate a new post-war plan for Gaza.

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