Iran’s acting President Mohammad Mokhber addressed the country’s newly elected parliament on Monday, marking his first public speech since the tragic helicopter crash last week that claimed the life of his predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, and seven others.
Mokhber’s speech comes as Iran gears up for a presidential election to replace the late Raisi, set to take place in just a month. This upcoming vote may see Mokhber, previously a behind-the-scenes bureaucrat, potentially run for the presidency alongside other candidates. Meanwhile, the new hardline parliament is expected to select its new speaker on Tuesday.
In his address, Mokhber lauded Raisi’s tenure, highlighting that Iran’s crude oil production had risen to over 3.6 million barrels a day. This increase was corroborated by Oil Minister Javad Owji, who stated on Sunday that Iran was exporting around 2 million barrels a day, despite facing Western sanctions.
Mokhber also emphasized the stability of Iran’s economy under Raisi, even amidst recent military actions in Iraq, Israel, and Pakistan. “Three countries were hit. We hit Israel, people find that figures and indexes are the same in the morning when they wake up, price of hard currency is the same, inflation is the same, liquidity is the same and the market is full of people’s needs,” Mokhber claimed. “This strength, this settlement and this power is not a usual thing, they all were because of guidance by the supreme leader and the sincere efforts of Ayatollah Raisi.”
Since the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, the Iranian rial has drastically fallen from 32,000 rials to $1 to about 580,000 to $1 today, following the U.S.’s withdrawal from the accord and a series of regional conflicts involving Iran and its allies.
On May 20, rescuers recovered the bodies of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others from a mountainous region in northwestern Iran following the helicopter crash.
Iran will hold presidential elections on June 28 to find Raisi’s successor, with a five-day registration period for candidates starting on Thursday. Analysts suggest Mokhber might be among those registering.
Monday also marked the first session for Iran’s newly elected parliament, following a March election that saw the lowest voter turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Hardliners dominate the 290-seat body, holding over 230 seats, according to an Associated Press survey.
Although Iran’s parliament plays a secondary role in governance, it can exert significant pressure on the presidential administration, particularly in matters such as the annual budget. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who is 85, retains the ultimate authority in all significant state matters.
