Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have died after their helicopter crashed while crossing a mountain terrain in heavy fog on the way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan.
Raisi, 63, was the hard-liner protege of Iran's supreme leader who helped oversee the mass executions of thousands in 1988. He was also known as the "butcher of Tehran".
He also led the country when it enriched uranium near weapons-grade levels and launched a major drone-and-missile attack on Israel.
Amirabdollahian was another hardliner, who was close to the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. He confronted the West while also overseeing indirect talks with US over the country's nuclear program.
The unexpected death of the two powerful Iranian leaders has triggered a high-stakes power struggle in the Middle Eastern country. It has also prompted speculations about the possible involvement of foreign countries or domestic enemies in the crash.
According to a report in The Economist, Raisi had a long list of enemies in Iran, including relative moderates he has marginalised to the fellow conservatives who think he has been an inept president.
It said that some Iranians believe that Raisi's enemies may have their exacted revenge. "It is not unreasonable to wonder if domestic foes conspired to kill him," the report said.
Israel's hand?
The Economist report said that the involvement of Israel cannot be ruled out either since both the countries have been long-time foes.
Last month, the two countries almost came to the brink of a full-scale war after Israel assassinated an Iranian general in Syria and Tehran responded by launching an unprecedented missle attack on Israel.
The report said that Israeli spy group Mossad has a long history of killing enemies, including in Iran. In fact, Israel has assassinated several prominent nuclear scientists in Iran over the years.
However, it said that it is unlikely that Israel would go as far as to assassinate the country's president as it would trigger deadly consequences.
"But there are strong reasons to doubt Israel’s involvement. It has never gone so far as to assassinate a head of state, an unequivocal act of war that would invite a fierce Iranian response. It would be foolish to risk such consequences to kill Mr Raisi, a deeply unpopular politician who does not actually have the final say in many of Iran’s most important policy decisions," the report said.
According to local media, Israel has denied involvement in the crash. US Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer has also said there's no evidence of a foulplay so far.
What's next
The death of the two leaders comes at a sensitive time domestically for Tehran and seven months into Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
Under Raisi, Iran's hardline leadership has faced significant challenges in recent years, convulsed by youth-led demonstrations against clerical rule and grim economic conditions.
Iranian authorities have launched a widening crackdown on dissent since nationwide protests broke out over the 2022 death of a young woman in the custody of the country?s notorious morality police.
Next in the line of presidential succession is Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who must be approved by Khamenei, the final arbiter of domestic and foreign affairs in the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian constitution also mandates that the three heads of the branches of government, including the Vice President, speaker of the parliament, and head of the judiciary, must arrange for an election and elect a new leader within 50 days of assuming the role of acting President.
(With inputs from agencies)
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