The Islamic Republic’s President, known to Iranians as the “Butcher of Tehran,” was pronounced dead following a helicopter crash. Ibrahim Raisi, one of the most brutal and controversial figures within the Islamic Republic, gained his presidency following a rigged election in 2021. Prior to serving as the eighth President of the Islamic Republic, Raisi was heavily involved in the brutal implementation of Iran’s harsh laws. At the dawn of the 2022 Women Life Freedom uprising, Raisi instructed the authorities to brutally suppress the protests, leading to the imprisonment and unlawful execution of many young men and women.
The Butcher of Tehran
Acting upon Ayatollah Khomeini’s instructions, in 1988, Raisi participated in a “death committee” that handled summary trials for countless thousands of detained left-wing activists. Those who didn’t declare their undying loyalty to Khomeini were immediately marched out and hanged by the neck. Raisi described this as one of his proudest moments and a great achievement for the regime.
In an August 1988 audio recording, Khomeini’s designated successor, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, can be heard telling Raisi: “I believe this is the greatest crime committed in the Islamic Republic since the [1979] revolution and history will condemn us for it…. History will write you down as criminals.” Unsurprisingly, Montazeri was immediately demoted and lived out the rest of his life under house arrest. Raisi is accused by many of committing crimes against humanity due to his role in the 1988 death committee.
The removal of all other credible presidential candidates in Iran’s 2021 presidential elections, in order to secure Raisi’s victory, was seen as preparation for Raisi’s accession to the Supreme Leader role, as soon as it becomes available.
Death of Abdollahian
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, also recently gained negative attention, turning him into one of the most hated figures in Iran. Due to his undeniable defense of the regime since the Women Life Freedom movement of 2022, where hundreds of Iranian youth were killed and continue to be executed, Abdollahian’s death comes as great news to many Iranians. On many occasions, Abdollahian denied the killing of protesters or the extrajudicial killings that are widely criticized by the international community. He was one of the most visible faces since the start of the Gaza war and the first to congratulate Hamas on the atrocities they caused on October 7.
With his mostly calm demeanor, Abdollahian attempted to hide the Islamic Republic’s continuous human rights abuses. He was the perfect mouthpiece for the Ayatollahs, and his death creates instability as Iran needs to prepare another face for its foreign policy. Abdollahian also played a prominent role in the recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic, negotiations with Hamas, and most recently, interfered in Bahrain’s affairs by welcoming King Hamad’s pardon of prisoners and naming all the released prisoners as “political prisoners,” once again causing an unsettling environment between the two countries.
Support from the Region
Many letters of condolences and statements of support during the search and rescue operation poured in from leaders across the region. The Islamic Republic should realize that the region is willing to cooperate and work towards peace, as countries were willing to provide a helping hand to rescue the Iranian President. The deaths of key figures such as Raisi, Abdollahian, and Soleimani in 2020 create a power vacuum within the Islamic Republic, especially considering that Ayatollah Khamenei has been living on borrowed time for many years now. These major changes could shift the politics of the Islamic Republic in a direction that can either further solidify the rule of the Ayatollahs or bring an end to the Islamic Republic in the near future.
Tens of millions of Iranians celebrate the death of Raisi, the most brutal dictator in Iran’s recent history. His death, alongside Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, is considered a hugely unsettling matter for the Islamic Republic, given the prominent roles played by these two figures in Iran’s foreign and domestic affairs, the level of instability caused by the 2022 uprising, and the rising conflict between Iran and Israel.
Observers anticipate the possible rise of the protest movement once again as many Iranians start taking to the streets to celebrate their President’s death. Wishing the Iranian people peace and freedom from the brutality of the Islamic Republic.