Ebrahim Raisi, Hardline Iranian Cleric, Dies at 63

Subheadline: Raisi, who was elected president in 2021, was a close confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline Iranian cleric and politician who served as the country's president since 2021, has died at the age of 63. The cause of death has not yet been announced.

Raisi was born in the holy city of Mashhad in 1960 and studied Islamic law at the seminary in Qom. He became involved in politics during the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and held a number of positions in the judiciary after the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

Raisi was appointed head of the judiciary in 2019 and oversaw a crackdown on dissent in the country. He was elected president in 2021 in a vote that was widely seen as rigged. Raisi's presidency was marked by economic turmoil and a crackdown on human rights.

Raisi's death is a significant event in Iranian politics and could lead to a power struggle within the country's ruling class. It is unclear who will succeed Raisi as president.