ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jerusalem - 20 May 2024

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Joseph Krauss, The Associated Press:

"The death of Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday is not expected to have a major impact on Iran's ruling system or its policies, whether domestic or international. That's because while he was the elected president of Iran, most power in the country is concentrated in the hands of the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It is the supreme leader who has the final say on all major policies. He leads the military and the powerful Revolutionary Guard, and he appoints half the members of the clerical body that vets all candidates for public office in Iran. So in that way, the supreme leader is really able to shape the overall ruling system and its policies. Now where Raisi's death could have a major impact is when it comes to the succession for the supreme leader who is currently 85 years old. Raisi and the supreme leader's own son Mojtaba Khamenei were widely seen as the main candidates to succeed him. Now that Raisi has passed away, Mojtaba would now be seen as the main candidate and that raises profound questions for the Islamic Republic, which has always presented itself as an alternative to monarchical rule."