Now it is necessary to find someone who has the same authority as Raisi, says Iranologist

Speaking with Alpha News about the helicopter crash of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, Iranologist Zhanna Vardanyan noted that she considers the accident to be the most logical version.

“At the moment, there is no definitive information about what caused the accident. However, according to the preliminary version, the accident occurred due to adverse weather conditions. The weather conditions in this region were quite unfavorable, with heavy fog, making the version with the accident more likely than external intervention or other factors.

The search for an Israeli trace is now probably more possible, but in any case, this is also not clearly proven. Indeed, there are certain publications in the Iranian press that try to point at Israel, but there are quite a few of them. At the official level, there are no signs yet that the finger is pointed at Israel.

I consider the version with the accident to be the most logical. Israel has quite a lot of experience committing sabotage, attacks on Iranian officials, and destroying Iranian objects on Iranian territory or beyond its borders. But in this case, there are no clear signs that Israel is behind this,” the Iranologist emphasized.

Vardanyan believes that the new Iranian president will be elected without upheaval.

“According to the Constitution of Iran, if the president dies or is unable to exercise his powers, the first vice president assumes this responsibility, in this case Mohammad Mokhber. The first vice president, the speaker of parliament, and the head of local authorities establish a council that must organize elections and elect a new president within 50 days. In a broad sense, Iran’s state system and state institutions are quite established; that is, all possible cases are taken into account, and there are mechanisms for action in this situation. In this regard, we can say that Iran will elect a new president and a new foreign minister without upheavals,” Zhanna Vardanyan said.

The Iranologist is confident that the change of president will in no way affect the country’s foreign and domestic policies.

“It should be emphasized that the primary and most important figure in Iran is the spiritual leader, at whose level the country’s policy is determined. In this regard, the change of president will not affect the country’s foreign and domestic policy since it is determined jointly with several institutions, and the institution of the president is just one of them, not the primary one.

Therefore, Iran’s state system will be able to overcome this stage. Now there is no Raisi, and someone should be found who will become the new Raisi, will be just as respectable, and will be able to earn the trust of all conservative forces,” she said.

When asked how the death of Ebrahim Raisi will affect the South Caucasus, the Iranologist replied that Iran’s policy is not determined by the institution of the president and has not been promoted at this level.

“There are many other important institutions, such as the institution of spiritual leadership, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the National Security Council. All these institutions will continue to function, and the institution of the president will also continue to function since an acting president has already been appointed.

A change of person may cause a slight shock, for example, when organizing early elections because parliamentary elections were held several months ago. But I do not think that this will be a big upheaval that could affect the country’s foreign policy,” Zhanna Vardanyan noted.