Under the direction of Grand Ayatollah Khomeini, Iranian political prisoners were executed by these commissions,[13]: 15  and as a result of his involvement, Raisi earned himself the nickname: "Butcher of Tehran"[14] and was accused by United Nations special rapporteurs and other organizations of crimes against humanity.

Considered a hardliner in Iranian politics, Raisi's presidency saw deadlock in negotiations with the U.S. over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and large-scale protests throughout the country in late 2022, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September.

During Raisi's term, Iran intensified uranium enrichment, hindered international inspections, joined SCO and BRICS, and supported Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

Iran also launched several missile and drone attacks on Israel during the Gaza conflict and continued arming proxy groups like Hezbollah and the Houthi movement.

However, according to Vatanka, the media "publicized his lack of formal religious education" and credentials, after which Raisi ceased claiming to hold the aforementioned rank.

[24] After three years and in early 1988, he was placed in the attention of Ruhollah Khomeini and received special provisions (independent from judiciary) from him to address legal issues in some provinces like Lorestan, Semnan and Kermanshah.

Raisi's involvement in the executions gained publicity in 2016, when Hussein-Ali Montazeri released an audio recording of an August 1988 meeting of the Tehran "death committee."

[14] Other persons were Morteza Eshraghi (Prosecutor of Tehran), Hossein-Ali Nayeri (Judge), and Mostafa Pourmohammadi (MOI representative in Evin).

[39][better source needed] The killings have been described as a political purge without precedent in modern Iranian history, both in terms of scope and coverup.

He was the founder of "Fatemeh Al-Zahra Seminary" (in Tehran) and the first secretary of the headquarters for reviving the enjoining good and forbidding wrong in the country.

[56][57] He officially announced his nomination in a statement published on 6 April, and called it his "religious and revolutionary responsibility to run", citing the need for a "fundamental change in the executive management of the country" and a government that "fights poverty and corruption.

He did not congratulate Rouhani on his re-election as the president,[62] and asked the Guardian Council to look into "violations of the law" before and during the elections, with 100 pages of attached documentation.

[72] Raisi appointed Muhammad Mukhbar, the head of the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order foundation, as the first vice president of Iran on 8 August.

[77] 18 out of 19 of his cabinet picks were approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly on 25 August, except Hossein Baghgoli, whom Raisi had chosen as the Minister of Education.

[82] On 4 September, he stated that Iran would resume talks over its nuclear programme, which have been stalled since his election victory, but not under pressure from Western countries.

[83] On 5 September, Raisi appointed Meysam Latifi, former dean of Islamic education and management at Imam Sadiq University, as a vice president and head of the Administrative and Recruitment Affairs Organization,[84] while Sowlat Mortazavi was appointed vice president for executive affairs and head of the presidential administration.

[88] In a pre-recorded speech before the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 21 September, Raisi stated that Iran wanted to resume talks over its nuclear programme.

[90] President Raisi promised to set up a commission to investigate the murder, but this did not affect the protests, as law-enforcement agencies are allegedly retreating from small cities due to uncontrollable rioting.

[91] After the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, Raisi stated on 16 August that the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan offered a chance for stabilising the country, which Iran would support.

[97] Raisi said that his government's priority in the meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was to strengthen strategic ties between Iran and Syria.

[99] In March 2022, according to Foreign Policy, Raisi pledged an alliance in favor of Russia when the Russian invasion of Ukraine started.

[100] Negotiations with the U.S. over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have continued to be stalled under Raisi, with him accusing the Americans of "delaying and dragging their feet".

"[97] Raisi canceled a trip to Geneva in December 2023 due to accusations against him regarding his role in the torture and murder of prisoners in 1988, for which he could face arrest.

He said in a 2014 interview about planned segregation in Tehran Municipality "I think this is a good move because the majority of women do a better job in a totally relaxed atmosphere and fit are required.

"[114] He stated that the amputation of thieves' hands, which is based on a very strict interpretation of Sharia,[115] is one of "our honours" and that such punishments will not be limited to now and will be continued in the future.

[122] A formal request had been made to arrest Raisi for crimes against humanity, if he attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland.

[134] When visiting Uganda, after the country had recently passed a law instituting the death penalty for homosexuality, Raisi stated: "I believe that this issue, and these strong attacks by the West against the establishment of families and against the culture of the nations, is another area of cooperation for Iran and Uganda," further adding: "The Western countries try to identify homosexuality as an index of civilization, while this is one of the dirtiest things which have been done in human history.

[20][138][139] In 2019, Saeid Golkar of Al Jazeera called Raisi "the most likely successor of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei" as Supreme Leader of Iran.

A procession of the remains, which were carried on a lorry, was attended by crowds estimated to be in the tens of thousands who were addressed by Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi.

Raisi's and Amir-Abdollahian's remains were then taken to Tehran and transported to Qom before being returned to Tehran University for another funeral ceremony on 22 May presided by Khamenei and attended by Mokhber and foreign dignitaries, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who spoke at the event, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a delegation from the Taliban regime of Afghanistan led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.