Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced a five-day mourning period following the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi.
The president, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, perished in a helicopter crash in the mountainous north-western region of Iran.
State media confirmed the fatalities after the helicopter they were traveling in crashed on Sunday.
Ayatollah Khamenei expressed his condolences, stating, “to the dear people of Iran.”
Ebrahim Raisi, aged 63, had been considered a potential successor to the supreme leader.
Elections to select a new president are scheduled for June 28.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed to assume interim presidential duties, and Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has been named acting foreign minister.
The crash occurred near the border with Azerbaijan, where Raisi had been meeting with President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate the Qiz Qalasi and Khodaafarin dams.
Initial reports indicated that the helicopter made a hard landing under foggy conditions.
The Iranian Red Crescent has confirmed that the bodies of the president and other victims have been recovered, and search operations have concluded.
“We are in the process of transferring the bodies of the martyrs to Tabriz [in Iran’s north-west],” the organization’s chief announced on state television.
Tasnim, a news outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, reported that President Raisi’s funeral would take place in Tabriz on Tuesday.
Raisi’s presidency began in 2021, marking a consolidation of conservative control over the Islamic Republic.
Despite his sudden death, the Iranian government assured that it would continue to operate “without disruption.”
International reactions poured in, with leaders expressing their condolences. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared a national day of mourning, referring to Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian as “good friends of Iran.”
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his shock and sadness on social media, while Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered full support and coordination with Iranian authorities, declaring a national day of mourning in Turkey as well.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the late president and foreign minister “true, reliable friends of our country.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping acknowledged Raisi’s contributions to Iran’s security and stability.
The European Union extended its “sincere condolences,” and European Council President Charles Michel expressed solidarity with the families of the victims.
Hamas lauded Raisi’s support for the Palestinian group, and Hezbollah in Lebanon mourned the loss of their protector.
However, the White House criticized the late president, stating he had been responsible for Iran’s support of “terrorist networks throughout the region” and that he “had a lot of blood on his hands.”
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