Mohammad-Ali Rajai

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Mohammad-Ali Rajai
Rajai visiting Ali Khamenei in hospital after unsuccessful assassination by MEK on 27 June 1981
2^nd President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
In office 15 August 1981 – 30 August 1981
Leader	Ruhollah Khomeini
Preceded by	Abolhassan Banisadr
Succeeded by	Ali Khamenei
7^th Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 11 March 1981 – 15 August 1981
Preceded by	Mohammad Karim Khodapanahi
Succeeded by	Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Prime Minister of Iran
In office 12 August 1980 – 4 August 1981
President	Abolhassan Banisadr
Preceded by	Mehdi Bazargan
Succeeded by	Mohammad Javad Bahonar

Born	15 June 1933 Ghazvin, Iran
Died	August 30, 1981 (aged 48) Tehran, Iran
Political party	Association of Combatant Clerics
Religion	Shia Islam

Mohammad Ali Rajai (محمد علی رجائی in Persian) (15 June 1933 – August 30, 1981) was the second elected President of Iran, after serving as Prime Minister under Abolhassan Banisadr. He was also Minister of Foreign Affairs for five months 11 March 1981 – 15 August 1981, while he was Prime Minister.

He graduated with a degree in Education from Tarbiat Moallem University in 1959.[1]

He was a strong supporter of Iranian revolution and was a leader in the movement to purge Iranian universities of American and European influences, which was later called the Islamic Cultural Revolution. Furthermore, he started the Iranian retirement program for individuals over the age 70.

[edit] Assassination

On August 30, 1981, President Rajai held a meeting of Iran's Supreme Defence Council, along with Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar. Witnesses later stated that a trusted aide brought a briefcase into the conference room, setting it between the two leaders, then left. Another person opened the case, triggering a bomb that set the room ablaze and killed Rajai, Bahonar, and three others.^[1]

He was the President of Iran for 14 days. Rajai was born in Ghazvin.

Preceded by Mehdi Bazargan	Prime Minister of Iran 1980–1981	Succeeded by Mohammad Javad Bahonar
Preceded by Abolhassan Banisadr	President of Iran 1981	Succeeded by Ali Khamenei

v • d • e Presidents of Iran

Abolhassan Banisadr (1980–81) · Mohammad-Ali Rajai (1981) · Ali Khamenei (1981–89) · Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (1989–97) · Mohammad Khatami (1997–2005) · Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (since 2005)