Raisi's passing does not change Iran's political landscape

SHAH ALAM – The passing of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is not expected to alter the political landscape, domestic and foreign policies, or the geopolitical stance of the Middle Eastern country, particularly regarding opposition to Israel's killings of Palestinians in Gaza.

International Relations expert Professor Dr Ahmad Marthada Mohamed said that Iran's policy towards Israel is clear: they firmly support Palestine and oppose the atrocities of the Israeli Zionist regime.

"Iran's policy overall is to support Palestine, even if the leadership changes. While it is unknown what stance and firmness the new Iranian President will take, it is predicted that it will not bring changes to the existing government's policy.

"Iran's policy towards Israel has always been clear. It is not solely because of the President's firm and vocal opposition to Israel," he said.

Marthada said Israel should also be wary because the new Iranian President might be more outspoken about their actions in the future.

"It is not impossible that the next leader will also be more assertive because we have seen that the late Raisi was consistently critical of Israel in all circumstances.

"He always criticised, especially regarding the United States' support for Israel and the lack of concrete decisions from the United Nations (UN) on the ceasefire issue in Gaza," he said.

He added that due to Raisi's firm nature, he launched an attack on Israel after the Zionist regime attacked the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, which killed seven IRG officers, including two senior commanders.