On Monday, Iranian media reported the death of President Ebrahim Raisi following a helicopter crash in a mountainous region of Iran.
Here are the details currently available:
The Incident
Iranian media outlets announced Raisi’s death after his helicopter crashed, though no official confirmation has been released yet.
“The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, had an accident while serving and performing his duty for the people of Iran and was martyred,” stated the local Mehr news agency, with similar reports from other sources.
Previously, on Sunday, state television reported an accident involving a helicopter carrying Raisi in the Jolfa region of East Azerbaijan province, amid adverse weather conditions.
The crash occurred in the mountainous protected forest area of Dizmar near Varzaghan, according to the IRNA news agency.
Early Monday, Pirhossein Koolivand, Iran’s Red Crescent chief, confirmed that rescue teams had located the helicopter and were en route to the crash site.
State TV indicated that there were “no signs” of life among the passengers “as of yet.”
Local media has circulated images purportedly showing the wreckage.
Earlier, Raisi had inaugurated a dam project with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on the border between the two countries.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi attributed the crash to a “hard landing due to the weather conditions.”
Raisi’s convoy included three helicopters, with two landing safely in Tabriz.
Vahidi noted difficulties in establishing communication with the third helicopter, which carried Raisi.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan, and the province’s main imam were also reportedly on board, according to IRNA.
Iran’s Response
A total of 73 rescue teams, including those from the Red Crescent, military personnel, the Revolutionary Guards, and the police, have been involved in the search efforts.
Search dogs and drones are being used, as stated by IRNA.
The army’s chief-of-staff, Mohammad Bagheri, confirmed the deployment of these resources.
State TV broadcasted footage of Red Crescent rescue teams navigating a steep slope amid thick fog as they attempted to reach the helicopter’s location.
Potential Consequences of Raisi’s Death
If Raisi’s death is confirmed, Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber will assume presidential duties, as per Iran’s constitution.
Subsequently, presidential elections would need to be held within 50 days.
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