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UPDATE: 7:00 PM
What Raisi’s Death Means for Iran and the World
Last weekend, the Iranian regime was thrust into turmoil with the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir Hossein Abdollahian in a helicopter crash in Iran. This represents a significant setback for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who now faces an intensified crisis and a more precarious grip on power.
Khamenei had orchestrated Raisi’s rise to power in 2021, eliminating even loyal stalwarts within his own factions to ensure Raisi’s election. Raisi was not just a figurehead. He was known for his unwavering obedience to Khamenei. His death now leaves a vacuum that will be exceedingly difficult to fill, as finding someone who combines absolute loyalty and ruthlessness will be a daunting task for Khamenei.
UPDATE: 7:00 AM
PMOI Resistance Units Across Iran Celebrate The Death of Ebrahim Raisi, The “Butcher of Tehran”
In a wave of jubilation that swept across the country, the Iranian people celebrated the death of regime president Ebrahim Raisi, a major human rights abuser who has left a trail of blood in his wake in four decades of serving the regime.
PMOI Resistance Units in different cities across Iran, including Ahvaz, Shiraz, Mashhad, Karaj, Isfahan, Tabriz, Rasht, Hamedan, Qazvin, Damavand, Khorramabad, Malayer, Yazd, Qom, and Zahedan celebrated this occasion with video messages and by holding placards with messages of celebration and commitment to overthrow the mullahs’ regime.
The leaflets and banners carried strong messages calling for justice. Phrases such as “We pray that Khamenei will soon meet the same fate as Raisi” and “We hope the executioner meets his end in hell” reflect deep anger and resentment towards the current regime. The Resistance Units expressed their collective hope for Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, to face a fate similar to that of Raisi.
Exiled Opposition: Raisi’s Death Is ‘Monumental Blow’ to Regime
Exiled opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has claimed that Raisi’s death “represents a monumental and irreparable strategic blow to the mullahs” and speculated that “it will trigger a series of repercussions and crises within the theocratic tyranny, which will spur rebellious youths into action.”
NCRI leader Maryam Rajavi said that “the curse of mothers and those seeking justice for the executed, along with the damnation of the Iranian people and history, mark the legacy of Ebrahim Raisi, the notorious perpetrator of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners.”
The group, which has been in exile since the 1980s, claims that Raisi was responsible for a crackdown on opposition in the 1980s that saw the Islamic regime execute thousands of dissidents.
Some Iranians Celebrate ‘Butcher of Tehran’ Raisi’s Death in The Streets Despite Oppressive Regime
Video shows several Iranians celebrating President Ebrahim Raisi’s death in the streets even as thousands participate in mass demonstrations mourning the controversial leader.
Fireworks are launched in the night, a woman passes out sweets and several people can be heard cheering in the video posted online by opponents of the regime after Raisi died Sunday in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other officials.
Ali Safavi, a member of The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) Foreign Affairs Committee – Iran’s parliament in exile – said the demonstrations showed “a glimmer of hope for a future free from the brutal repression that Raisi epitomized.”
US Officials Should Seize Raisi’s Death to Address Iran’s Worsening Human Rights Record
With the untimely death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the so-called “Butcher of Tehran,” and the country’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a helicopter crash in an eastern province of Iran near Azerbaijan earlier this week, U.S. officials would be wise to take stock of Tehran’s escalating human rights abuses and the rising discontent on the Iranian street. On April 13, the Islamic Republic launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel. Iranian forces subsequently seized a commercial vessel in the Persian Gulf based on the vague pretense that it had connections to the Jewish state. On the same day, the regime initiated a fresh crackdown on dissent and dramatically stepped up the public harassment of women deemed to be in violation of the mullahs’ strict Islamic dress code.
Thousands of Western lawmakers have adopted resolutions in recent years recognizing the NCRI as a viable alternative to the theocratic dictatorship and endorsing its 10-point plan for Iran’s future, as presented by its transitional president, Maryam Rajavi. These Western supporters generally recognize that the PMOI-led network of “Resistance Units” operating throughout Iran has continued to fuel public activism in the wake of the 2022 uprising, keeping alive its message of regime overthrow. Yet this awareness has yet to be reflected in the policies of Western political leadership, who remain wary of alienating a regime they have long assumed is free of domestic challenges.
What Rouhani’s “Sudden Discovery” Says about The State of Iran’s Regime
Hassan Rouhani, the former president of Iran’s regime who was recently disqualified from running for the Assembly of Experts, recently expressed his complaint about his disqualification by publishing an open letter. After 45 years, he suddenly discovered that “Even the highest elected official does not enjoy the right to freedom of expression, not even at the level of an ordinary citizen.”
It is unclear what freedom of expression rights an ordinary citizen in Iran under the current regime enjoys that the regime’s president does not have.
In exploring the judgment, he wrote, “I know what the reason for sensitivity is for some influential elected officials in the Assembly of Experts, especially in this term… I know that the sixth term of the Assembly of Experts is an important and decisive period, and the presence of individuals like me in it is concerning to the jurists of the Guardian Council.”
Khamenei’s Woes Compound as Iran’s Regime Fragments After Raisi’s Demise
With the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian regime is compelled to hold early elections, exacerbating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s nightmare of internal disputes among the regime’s elements and factions.
The impact on Khamenei is undeniable, though not due to Raisi’s personal influence. To fully grasp the significance, we must rewind to 2021. That year, Khamenei paid a hefty price to appoint Raisi as president. This decision necessitated a “bloody surgery” within the regime, expelling even those close to Khamenei and leading to bloody disputes among the regime’s elements. For Khamenei, this was crucial to silence critics and prevent further protests.
Who is Mohammad Mokhber, the Vice President of Iran’s regime?
The Vice President of Iran’s regime has assumed the executive responsibilities of the Iranian government following the death of Ebrahim Raisi.
According to Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution, “In case of the death, dismissal, resignation, absence, or illness of the President for more than two months, or in cases where the term of the presidency ends and the new President has not been elected due to certain obstacles, or other similar matters, the Vice President, with the approval of the Supreme Leader, assumes the duties and responsibilities of the President.”
EU Politicians Face Backlash After Sending Condolence Messages for Death of Ebrahim Raisi
After the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Iranian regime, in a helicopter crash, Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, sent messages of condolence. This prompted protests from members of the European Parliament and parliamentarians from various countries with the hashtag “Not in My Name.” They referred to Raisi as the “Butcher of Tehran” responsible for the killing and massacre of people in Iran and the region.
The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, clarified that he was not offering “political support” to the Iranian regime after ending a post confirming the provision of satellite assistance to Iranian rescuers with “#EUSolidarity.”
Khamenei Faces Nightmare for Early Elections
After the death of Ebrahim Raisi, who served as the eighth president of Iran from 2021 until he was killed in 2024, there must be early elections. This situation is a nightmare for Khamenei. this will cause rivalries within their group over who will take over the presidency and succeed the supreme leader( Khamenei)
the supreme leader has suffered a big loss with Raisi’s death. To understand this, we need to look back at 2021. In 2021, Khamenei made a lot of sacrifices to get Raisi elected. This caused a lot of internal conflict and division.
People like Ali Larijani former military officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2020 were pushed aside to make way for Raisi. This led to more conflict between the Larijani brothers, and Khamenei.
Freedom-Loving Iranians in Germany, Austria, and The Netherlands Celebrated the Death of Raisi, the Mass Murderer of Iranian Youth
May 20, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Germany (Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Cologne), Austria (Vienna), and the Netherlands (Amsterdam) organized rallies and celebrated the death of Ebrahim Raisi the mass murderer of the Iranian youth.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – May 21, 2024
