Ebrahim Raisi: Iran's New Leader Emerges from Shadows

A Hardline Cleric Ascends to Power

Ebrahim Raisi, a conservative cleric and close ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was elected president of Iran in June 2021. Born in 1960 in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi has a long and controversial career in Iran's judiciary.

From Revolution to Power

Raisi's path to the presidency began in the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when he joined the revolutionary movement led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. After the revolution, Raisi held several positions in the judiciary, including deputy prosecutor-general and prosecutor-general of Tehran.

In 2016, Raisi was appointed head of the judiciary by Khamenei. His tenure was marked by a crackdown on dissent and suppression of political opposition. Raisi's prosecution of political prisoners and his role in the execution of thousands of political dissidents earned him notoriety both in Iran and abroad.

Despite his controversial record, Raisi was seen as a loyalist to Khamenei and a potential successor. His victory in the 2021 presidential election was seen as a consolidation of the hardline conservative faction in Iran.