Photo Credit: AP The Islamic Republic of Iran’s last presidential election in 2021 saw consolidated control over every aspect of the country by Iranian conservatives. That year, Ebrahim Raisi won the presidency in a landslide, replacing Hassan Rouhani. However, Raisi’s presidential tenure presided over a tumultuous time in Iranian politics, which oversaw anti-government protests in 2022 and the ongoing war in Gaza. Meanwhile, despite these circumstances, many foreign affairs experts and Iran analysts considered Raisi a strong candidate to be the nation’s next Supreme Leader. Raisi recently passed away in a helicopter crash on May 19 after meeting with the…