Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, has been killed in a helicopter crash in a mountainous region of north-western Iran, according to state media.
He was traveling with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several others.
A significant search and rescue operation was launched on Sunday, with assistance from Russia and Turkey, to locate the aircraft.
Initially, reports suggested that the helicopter had made a rough landing due to foggy conditions.
The helicopter crashed in a remote area of north-western Iran as it was returning from Azerbaijan, where Raisi had met with President Ilham Aliyev.
On Monday, the Iranian Red Crescent confirmed the recovery of the bodies of the president and other crash victims, stating that search operations had concluded.
The chief of the organization said on state television, “We are in the process of transferring the bodies of the martyrs to Tabriz [in Iran’s northwest].”
Local media reported that Raisi was in the area to inaugurate the Qiz Qalasi and Khodaafarin dams.
Before the official confirmation of his death, vigils were held in Tehran, with images showing people in prayer.
Raisi, 63, was a hard-line cleric close to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was considered a potential successor to the 85-year-old.
His election as president in 2021 solidified conservative control over all branches of the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian government stated that it would continue to operate “without disruption” following Raisi’s death.
Numerous countries have expressed condolences. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a national day of mourning, calling Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian “good friends of Iran.”
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed on social media that he was “deeply saddened and shocked” by the deaths.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that his government was “in full contact and co-ordination with the Iranian authorities” and ready to “provide any necessary support.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also offered condolences, describing Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian as “true, reliable friends of our country.”
Source-BBC
