Ebrahim Raisi: Iran’s Hardline President Shaping the Islamic Republic’s Future

👶 Early Life and Religious Education

Ebrahim Raisi was born on December 14, 1960, in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran.

🕌 Religious Upbringing

• Born into a devout Shi’a clerical family.
• Lost his father at age 5 but continued in his religious path.
• He studied at the Qom Seminary, one of the most prestigious Shi’a religious institutions in Iran.

📚 Key Mentors and Influences

• Learned under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who later became Supreme Leader of Iran.
• Studied Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), Quranic sciences, and Islamic philosophy.
• Earned the clerical title of Hujjat al-Islam, one step below the highest rank of Ayatollah.

⚖ Judicial Career and Rise to Prominence

🏛 Early Roles After the 1979 Revolution

After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Raisi quickly aligned himself with the new Islamic Republic:

• Appointed prosecutor of Karaj at age 20.
• Later served as prosecutor of Hamedan and eventually moved to the Prosecutor’s Office in Tehran.

⚖ Role in the 1988 Executions

• Raisi was part of the infamous “Death Committee” that oversaw the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.
• Though Raisi has denied wrongdoing, human rights organizations have accused him of crimes against humanity.

This episode remains controversial, yet it significantly elevated his profile within Iran’s hardline establishment.

👨‍⚖ Climbing the Judicial Ladder

• Deputy Chief Justice (2004–2014)
• Prosecutor-General of Iran (2014–2016)
• Chief Justice of Iran (2019–2021)

As Chief Justice, he was known for:

• Harsh sentences against dissidents
• Anti-corruption campaigns
• Crackdowns on social freedoms

🏛 Entry into Politics: Presidential Ambitions

🗳 2017 Presidential Election

• Ran against Hassan Rouhani, the moderate incumbent.
• Campaign focused on:
  • Economic justice
  • Islamic values
  • Criticism of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)

He lost, but his vote count (38%) surprised many and demonstrated his strong support base among conservatives.

🗳 2021 Presidential Victory

• Backed by Iran’s powerful Guardian Council and deep state.
• Many moderate and reformist candidates were disqualified.
• Won with 62% of the vote, but with record-low voter turnout (around 49%) — reflecting growing public disillusionment.

👑 Presidency: Key Policies and Ideological Direction

🔐 Hardline Domestic Agenda

Raisi represents the most conservative, anti-Western faction of Iran’s political elite.

🧕 Social and Cultural Policies

• Strongly supports the mandatory hijab and Islamic dress code.
• Oversaw intensified crackdowns on:
  • Women’s rights activists
  • LGBTQ+ communities
  • Protest movements (especially the 2022–23 Mahsa Amini protests)

🛑 Human Rights Record

• His administration has presided over:
  • Increased executions (including for drug-related offenses)
  • Harsh repression of freedom of speech
  • Censorship of media and the internet
• UN and Amnesty International have repeatedly condemned his government.

💸 Economic Policies

Iran’s economy has struggled with sanctions, mismanagement, and corruption.

📉 Key Challenges

• U.S. sanctions reimposed after Trump exited the JCPOA in 2018
• Rampant inflation and unemployment
• Brain drain among youth and educated professionals

🛠 Raisi’s Strategy

• Promotes a “resistance economy” — self-reliance in the face of Western pressure.
• Seeks to boost ties with non-Western partners:
  • China
  • Russia
  • Regional allies
• Focuses on subsidies and welfare to appease the lower-income segments of society.

🌍 Foreign Policy: Anti-Western and Regional Assertiveness

🇺🇸 Relations with the U.S. and the West

• Deeply skeptical of the West, particularly the U.S.
• Took a hardline stance on nuclear negotiations, slowing progress on a JCPOA revival.
• Declared that Iran would never accept “unjust Western demands”.

☢️ Nuclear Program

• Iran continued to enrich uranium beyond JCPOA limits under Raisi.
• Faced accusations of inching closer to nuclear weapons capability.
• Raisi insists the program is peaceful, but tensions remain high with Israel and the West.

🇷🇺 Russia and 🇨🇳 China Partnerships

• Signed a 25-year cooperation agreement with China.
• Deepened economic, military, and diplomatic ties with Russia, especially after the Ukraine war.
• Sought alternative power alliances as a counterweight to U.S.-led sanctions.

🇸🇾 Regional Proxy Networks

• Continued support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, and Shi’a militias in Iraq and Syria.
• Promoted Iran’s role as a Shi’a powerhouse across the Middle East.

🕊 Handling Protests and Civil Unrest

🧕 The Mahsa Amini Protests (2022–2023)

• Sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police.
• Unprecedented nationwide protests, largely led by women and youth.
• Raisi responded with:
  • Internet shutdowns
  • Mass arrests
  • Security crackdowns
• The regime executed multiple protesters, sparking global outrage.

📢 Public Discontent

• Widespread frustration over:
  • Corruption
  • Economic hardship
  • Lack of freedoms

Raisi’s government offered few reforms, instead reinforcing state control and Islamic ideology.

🛡 Power Structure and Loyalty to Supreme Leader

• Raisi is considered a close protégé of Ayatollah Khamenei.
• He aligns with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
• Many believe Raisi was being groomed to potentially succeed Khamenei as Supreme Leader.

His presidency is seen as part of a broader hardline consolidation of power within Iran’s theocratic system.

🧬 Personal Life and Background

• Married to Jamileh Alamolhoda, daughter of Ayatollah Alamolhoda, a hardline cleric and Friday prayer leader in Mashhad.
• They have two daughters.
• Known for his austere lifestyle, conservative dress, and deep religiosity.

🧭 Legacy and Future Outlook

✅ Achievements

• Consolidated power for Iran’s hardliners.
• Strengthened Iran’s non-Western alliances.
• Maintained the Islamic Republic’s core ideological framework.

❌ Criticisms

• Poor handling of the economy
• Harsh repression of civil liberties
• Isolation of Iran on the international stage

🔮 Future Scenarios

• Raisi may become Supreme Leader if Ayatollah Khamenei dies or steps down.
• Alternatively, he may be replaced by a more technocratic or revolutionary figure if unrest escalates.
• His legacy depends on:
  • Nuclear negotiations
  • Public discontent
  • Geopolitical shifts in the Middle East

📌 Conclusion

Ebrahim Raisi represents the uncompromising core of Iran’s clerical establishment. His presidency has solidified the Islamic Republic’s anti-Western, religiously conservative path, even as public opposition grows. Whether seen as a stabilizing force or a repressive figure, Raisi plays a central role in shaping Iran’s future — one filled with tension, resistance, and strategic defiance.

🧭 Explore More: Trusted Sources on Ebrahim Raisi and Iran

• 🔗 Official Website of the Presidency of Iran
  Official speeches, updates, and government news from the Iranian presidency.
• 🔗 BBC Profile: Ebrahim Raisi
  A global overview of Raisi’s background and political rise.
• 🔗 Al Jazeera – Ebrahim Raisi News & Analysis
  Middle East-centric analysis of Raisi’s policies and leadership style.
• 🔗 Council on Foreign Relations – Iran’s Political System
  Understand the power dynamics within Iran’s government.
• 🔗 Reuters – News on Iran and Raisi
  Ongoing coverage of Iran’s domestic and international developments.
• 🔗 Human Rights Watch – Iran Country Report
  Independent insights into Iran’s human rights climate under Raisi.
• 🔗 Brookings Institution – Iran Analysis and Commentary
  Scholarly perspectives on Iran’s foreign policy, economy, and governance.