Who is Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s president whose helicopter suffered a ‘hard landing’ in foggy weather?

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi has long been seen as a protégé to Iran’s supreme leader and a potential successor for his position within the country’s Shiite theocracy.

News of his helicopter making what state media described as a “hard landing” on Sunday immediately brought new attention to the leader, who already faces sanctions from the U.S. and other nations over his involvement in the mass execution of prisoners in 1988.

Raisi, 63, previously ran Iran’s judiciary.