Aged 68, Mokhber, who was appointed acting president after Raisi’s death, served as first vice-president. Associated with the hard-line conservative centres of power in Iran, Mokhber is regarded as close to the office of the supreme leader and the IRGC, which represent the two key intersecting focuses of power in the Iranian system of governance. Before his appointment to the vice-presidency, Mokhber served for 14 years as head of Setad, a wealthy and powerful charitable organisation set up in memory of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and under the direct control of Khamenei. Both Setad and Mokhber have been sanctioned by the US, accused of human rights violations.
