What happens if an Iranian president dies in office?

Uncertainty hung over the fate of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi after state media said his helicopter had an accident on Sunday in poor weather in a western province.

Iran launched a large-scale search and rescue operation in the fog-shrouded mountain area of East Azerbaijan province.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said “the Iranian people should not worry” about the country and voiced hope Raisi and the others aboard would be found in good health.

Below is a brief outline of what Iran’s constitution says happens if a president is incapacitated or dies in office:

    According to article 131 of the Islamic Republic’s constitution, if a president dies in office, the first vice president takes over, with the confirmation of the supreme leader, who has the final say in all matters of state.
    A council consisting of the first vice president, the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary must arrange an election for a new president within a maximum period of 50 days.

Raisi was elected president in 2021 and, under the current timetable, presidential elections are due to take place in 2025.

In Iran, it is the supreme leader rather than the president who has the final say on all state matters, including foreign policy and the nuclear program. Therefore, if something were to happen to Raisi, significant changes in the Islamic Republic’s overall policies are unlikely.