Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has been declared deceased in a helicopter crash near the Iran-Azerbaijan border.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner and potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border on Monday, officials and state media claimed. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian died in the crash, as did all of the other passengers.
The helicopter crashed on Sunday in high territory, and its burnt wreckage was located early Monday after an overnight search under severe blizzard conditions. “President Raisi, the foreign minister, and all of the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash,” a senior Iranian source said, asking anonymity due to the gravity of the circumstances.
Vice President Mohsen Mansouri and state television later verified Raisi’s death. State television revealed footage of the helicopter wreckage on a mountain crest, but the actual cause of the incident is unknown. Rescue personnel worked amid extreme conditions, including blizzards and rugged terrain, to find the wreckage.
“No signs of life have been detected among the helicopter’s passengers since the crash site was discovered,” said Pirhossein Kolivand, head of Iran’s Red Crescent, on state television. Earlier, national broadcaster IRIB paused regular programming to highlight prayers for Raisi across the country.
The rescue effort was captured on video, with crews equipped with GPS devices and head lamps combing the dark slope in tough weather.
International reactions included comments of worry and offers of help. The White House announced that US President Joe Biden was briefed on the tragedy. China voiced significant worry, while the European Union provided emergency satellite mapping equipment to assist with the probe.
Raisi, known for his conservative attitude and regarded as a major figure in Iran’s political future, leaves a mixed legacy as the country deals with this unexpected death.
