Tehran, 20 May 2024, (GNP): Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, known for his hardline stance and considered a potential future leader after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in a helicopter accident near the Azerbaijan border, as confirmed by officials and state media on Monday.
The crash site of the helicopter, carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and six others, was discovered on Monday morning following an overnight search despite harsh weather conditions.
According to the official news agency, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, who wields decisive authority over foreign policy and the nation’s nuclear program, announced that First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will assume the role of interim president.
“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” Khamenei said in a statement. Mokhber, like Raisi, is seen as close to Khamenei.
A new presidential election must be conducted within 50 days under the Islamic Republic’s constitution. Khamenei previously reassured Iranians of no disruption to state affairs.
The helicopter crash coincides with mounting internal dissent in Iran amidst various political, social, and economic challenges. Iran’s clerical leaders are under global scrutiny due to the disputed nuclear program and increased military cooperation with Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.
Tensions have escalated in the Middle East since last October. Recent exchanges of drone and missile attacks between Iran and Israel marked a heightened phase in the longstanding conflict between the two states.
According to state media reports, photographs from the scene depicted a U.S.-manufactured Bell 212 helicopter crashed into a mountain peak, although there’s no official confirmation on the crash’s cause. Among the deceased were the governor of East Azerbaijan Province and a prominent imam from Tabriz city.
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A senior Iranian official, speaking anonymously due to the issue’s sensitivity, previously informed Reuters that President Raisi, the foreign minister, and all passengers aboard the helicopter perished in the accident.
An Israeli official, requesting anonymity, informed Reuters that Israel wasn’t involved in the crash, stating, “It wasn’t us.”
The helicopter crashed in the Varzeqan region north of Tabriz, as reported by the state news agency IRNA. This incident occurred as President Raisi was returning from an official visit to the border with Azerbaijan in Iran’s northwest.
Raisi, aged 63, won the presidential election in 2021 and has since implemented stricter morality laws, supervised a harsh crackdown on anti-government protests, and played a significant role in nuclear negotiations with world powers.
Condolences poured in from Iran’s neighboring countries, including Syria, Egypt, India, Iraq, and Pakistan, as well as from the European Union, Italy, and Russia. Hamas also expressed sympathy, while Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen also mourned Raisi’s death.
Meanwhile, the exiled opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, characterized Raisi’s passing as a severe blow to the Islamic Republic in a statement.
Rescue teams battled blizzards and challenging terrain overnight to reach the wreckage early Monday morning.
