The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash Sunday quickly set in motion a leadership transition that officials insisted would leave the Islamic republic in steady hands and would probably lead to little change in the country’s direction, analysts said.

“The Iranian nation shouldn’t be worried,” said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, according to state media. Raisi was seen as an enforcer of Khamenei’s edicts, rather than an independent actor, according to analysts.