Ebrahim Raisi: The Hard Man Taking Control Of Rogue State

Behind the news

- Matt Roper

If Iran has proven to be a persistent headache for the West over the past decade, it’s one that’s about to get a whole lot worse.

Just as Donald Trump’s removal was reason to believe Iran might come back in from the cold, many fear today’s inauguration of President Ebrahim Raisi will prove the biggest threat of all.

Raisi, who is personally subject to US sanctions over human rights abuses, has been dubbed the Butcher of Tehran.

Many Iranians remember his monstrous reign as a prosecutor after the revolution in 1979. He supervised the torture and murder of thousands.

The West had troubles even with his moderate predecessor Hassan Rouhani, so is bracing itself for the rule of a much more hostile ultraconservative leader.

Since his election last month, hopes have already faded of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by Rouhani.