Raisi, 7 others killed in helicopter crash

DUBAI:

Iran has been plunged into mourning after President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, died in a helicopter crash in the country’s northwest, state media confirmed on Monday morning.

In addition to Raisi and Amirabdollahian, state media reported, East Azerbaijan Province Governor Malek Rahmati, head of Raisi’s bodyguard group Mehdi Mousavi and Iran’s Supreme Leader’s provincial representative Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem , also died in the crash.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who declared five days of mourning, appointed Vice President Mohammad Mohbar as the new head of the executive branch. Mohbar later presided over an emergency cabinet meeting, and state media reported that elections for the new president had been called for June 28.

Raisi was en route to the city of Tabriz on Sunday after the inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi dam on the border with the Republic of Azerbaijan when his helicopter went missing in the Varzaqan district of East Azerbaijan province amid fog, triggering a massive search operation that continued all night.

The wreckage of the helicopter was finally located by Iranian drones in the early hours of Monday, although a Turkish drone was also involved in the search operation, Tasnim news agency reported. The Iranian Red Crescent (IRCS) said the bodies were recovered and taken to Tabriz.

According to the state news agency Irna, Ayatollah Khamenei had declared five days of public mourning, “after the martyrdom” of Raisi, the country’s eighth president, and his entourage. In a message, Khamenei expressed his “great sadness” over the deaths of Raisi and other officials.

“In this bitter tragedy, the Iranian nation lost a heartfelt, humble and valuable servant,” Khamenei said, adding that President Raisi never stopped his hard and round-the-clock work for the people of Iran despite criticism from ill-wishers.

The tragic accident happened as the president and his entourage were returning from Khoda Afarin district in Iran’s northwestern East Azerbaijan province. The president’s motorcade included three helicopters, two of which landed safely in the bad weather.

At the emergency cabinet meeting, Mokhber said that Iran’s system is well-established and strong, and there will not be the slightest problem in the country’s administration. He also assigned foreign relations to Amirabdollahian’s deputy for political affairs, Ali Baqeri Kani.

The cabinet decided to set up a committee, headed by Raisi’s deputy for executive affairs, Mohsen Mansouri, tasked with organizing funeral services for the late president, according to Irna. Raisi’s funeral was scheduled for Wednesday (tomorrow) in the capital Tehran.

Funerals for the other dead — the three crewmen, two bodyguards, an imam and a provincial governor — were set for Tuesday (today) in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, before Raishi’s body was flown to Tehran.

Iran’s chief of military staff, Mohammad Bagheri, ordered “a high-level committee to launch an investigation into the cause of the president [Bell 212] helicopter crash”. State television said the aircraft “struck a mountain and disintegrated” after impact.

Thousands of mourners had gathered in Tehran’s Valiasr Square to pay their respects to the late president and his entourage. Elsewhere, flags flew at half-mast and a black banner was raised at a major shrine in the city of Qom, south of Tehran.

Ebrahim Raisi, 63, was born in the holy city of Mashhad. He was elected president in 2021. Before that, he served as head of the judiciary, attorney general and vice president of the Assembly of Experts. Raisi was also a member of the Feasibility Council.

He succeeded Hassan Rouhani as president during a turbulent period when the economy was hit by US sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program. His tenure also saw mass protests in 2022, a surprise deal with Saudi Arabia in March 2023, and armed exchanges with Israel a few weeks ago.

In September 2023, on the occasion of Government Week in Iran, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei praised the Raishi government’s performance in various fields, including the economy and foreign policy.

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