Last Thursday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s hand-picked choice for president took office. His name is Ebrahim Raisi.

In 1988, Raisi was responsible for overseeing the executions of thousands of Iranian dissidents. This gave way to his nickname, the “Butcher of Tehran.” It was only in 2019 that Raisi, then head of Iran’s repressive judiciary, was sanctioned by the United States. He is trusted by Khamenei for a simple reason: He is a true believer in the Islamic Republic and all its fanatical impulses. He hates Iran’s enemies with a deep passion. Most of all, Israel and the U.S.