Raisi's Death Leads to Dual Succession Crises in Iran

Iranian clerics attend a funeral procession for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew who were killed following a helicopter crash, in Qom, Iran, May 21, 2024.
Iranian clerics attend a funeral procession for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew who were killed following a helicopter crash, in Qom, Iran, May 21, 2024.

The untimely death of the Islamic Republic’s president and its foreign minister in a mysterious helicopter crash on May 19 has come at the worst time for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but the best time for Iranian dissidents inside and outside the country.