According to journalist Christopher de Bellaigue, “when asked to identify the most important man in the city, Mashhadis do not name the mayor but rather” the head of Astan-e-Qods.Ayatollah Abbas Vaez-Tabasi had been the head of Astan-e-Qods from the revolution until his death in 2016. Ebrahim Raisi succeeded him in March 2016 and held office until April 2019.