Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi

Ebrahim Raisi is the current president of Iran, serving since August 2021. He was born in Mashhad, Iran, and grew up during the land reform and White Revolution development programs. He received a religious education and studied under prominent clerics in Qom. Raisi dedicated his career to upholding the Islamic republic against internal opposition, serving as a prosecutor in various jurisdictions and becoming deputy prosecutor in Tehran in 1985. In 1988, he was part of the prosecution committee responsible for the execution of thousands of political prisoners, earning him the nickname "Butcher of Tehran". He served as head of the judiciary from 2019 to 2021 before being elected president in 2021 with 62.9% of the votes. Raisi is considered a hardliner in Iranian politics and has been accused of crimes against humanity by international human rights organizations. His presidency has seen deadlock in negotiations with the U.S. over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and large-scale protests throughout the country in late 2022