Ebrahim Raisi (born Ebrahim Raisolsadati on December 14, 1960, in Mashhad, Iran) was a prominent Iranian cleric, jurist, and hardline conservative politician who served as Iran's President from 2021 until his death in 2024. Orphaned at a young age, he pursued religious studies in Mashhad and Qom, rising through Iran's judiciary in the 1980s. His career included roles as prosecutor, deputy prosecutor general, Tehran's chief prosecutor, and head of the judiciary (2019–2021), with alleged involvement in the 1988 mass executions drawing international condemnation. A close ally and potential successor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Raisi was elected president in 2021 in a tightly controlled election. His presidency was marked by hardline policies on Israel, nuclear negotiations, regional influence, and domestic crackdowns, including the violent suppression of the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests. His administration faced economic challenges from sanctions and escalated tensions with the West. Raisi died on May 19, 2024, in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran, along with Iran's foreign minister and other officials.