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Mohammad Mokhber

Mohammad Mokhber

Mohammad Mokhber (born 26 June 1955) is an Iranian politician who served as the acting president of Iran in 2024 following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in the Varzaqan helicopter crash, having been the first vice president of Iran from 2021 to 2024 under Raisi. He has been a member of the Expediency Discernment Council since September 2022 and serving as an advisor and aide to the Supreme Leader of Iran since September 2024.

Previously, he was also the head of the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order committee (EIKO, a.k.a. Setad), an executive at the Mostazafan Foundation, chairman of the board of Sina Bank, deputy governor of Khuzestan Province and CEO of Dezful Telecommunications. During the Iraq-Iran war, he was a medical officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and before the war he was a member of the revolutionary Mansurun Group.

Mokhber's career from young revolutionary to public official is dogged with allegations of corruption, some of which have led to investigations, regarding privatization of Iran's public assets, insider trading, human rights abuses, and affiliation with Iran's nuclear program. These resulted in international sanctions of Mokhber and his affiliate organizations, Sina Bank and Mostazafan. Mokhber is subject to secondary sanctions which limit his global travel and financial liquidity.

Upon Raisi's death, and with the approval of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Mokhber assumed "the powers and functions of the President" as the then-incumbent first vice president. In accordance with the Constitution of Iran, a Temporary Presidential Council consisting of the Acting President, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Head of Judiciary was formed and a new election date was set for June 28, 2024 with a run-off date of July 5, 2024. Masoud Pezeshkian won the presidential runoff election in July 2024, and was appointed as the President on 28 July 2024.