Raisi a hardliner on morality, protests and nuclear talks

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died at the age of 63 following a helicopter crash on May 19, rose through Iran's theocracy from hardline prosecutor to uncompromising president, overseeing a crackdown on protests at home and pushing hard in nuclear talks with world powers as he burnished his credentials to position himself to become the country's next supreme leader.

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Mr Raisi died when a helicopter carrying him back from a visit to the Azerbaijani border crashed in mountainous terrain, killing all on board, said a senior Iranian official. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was among those killed.

Elected president in a closely controlled vote in 2021, Mr Raisi took a tough stance in the nuclear negotiations, seeing a chance to win broad relief from American sanctions in return for only modest curbs on Iran's increasingly advanced technology.

Iran's hardliners had been emboldened by the United States' chaotic military withdrawal from neighbouring Afghanistan and policy swings in Washington.

Mr Raisi's hardline position was also evident in domestic politics. A year after his election, the midranking cleric ordered tighter enforcement of Iran's hijab and chastity law restricting women's dress and behaviour.