WATCH: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister killed in helicopter crash

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and several others including the Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, Tabriz’s Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem have been killed in a helicopter crash.

The helicopter, one of three travelling in a convoy, crashed on Sunday in thick fog in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.

Watch the official announcement of the death of Iran President Raisi at the shrine of Imam Reza

BREAKING: The official announcement of the death of Iran President Raisi at the shrine of Imam Reza pic.twitter.com/cLOsMCUECH

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 20, 2024

Crash

The 63-year-old Raisi was traveling to Tabriz after he had inaugurated the opening of a dam with Azerbaijan’s leader, Ilham Aliyev, on the two neighbouring countries’ shared border.

Iran’s state-run media reported that rescuers found the helicopter crash site on Monday after an hours-long search in mountainous terrain and poor weather.

Twenty rescue teams as well as an unknown number drones have been sent to the area where the helicopter came down, Al Jazeera reported.

BREAKING: MANY BODIES OF THOSE DIED IN IRAN PRESIDENT RAISI HELICOPTER CRASH HAVE BEEN BURNT AND CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED pic.twitter.com/ilM0ohOmnZ

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 20, 2024

ALSO READ: Intense search for Iran’s President Raisi after helicopter ‘accident’

Elections

Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will assume the powers of the presidency with new elections expected to be held within 30 days.

Iran’s Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the government will operate ‘without disruption’ after President Raisi’s death.

Gaza support

In a speech following Sunday’s dam inauguration, Raisi emphasised Iran’s support for Palestinians, a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

“We believe that Palestine is the first issue of the Muslim world, and we are convinced that the people of Iran and Azerbaijan always support the people of Palestine and Gaza and hate the Zionist regime,” said Raisi.

Biography

Raisi has been president of the Islamic Republic since 2021 when he succeeded the moderate Hassan Rouhani, for a term during which Iran has faced crisis and conflict.

He took the reins of a country in the grip of a deep social crisis and an economy strained by US sanctions against Tehran over its contested nuclear programme.

In a speech following Sunday’s dam inauguration, Raisi emphasised Iran’s support for Palestinians, a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

“We believe that Palestine is the first issue of the Muslim world, and we are convinced that the people of Iran and Azerbaijan always support the people of Palestine and Gaza and hate the Zionist regime,” said Raisi.

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