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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dies after helicopter crash: state media

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is believed to be dead after a helicopter he was traveling in crashed in the Islamic Republic’s East Azerbaijan province. Iranian state media reported Monday morning local time that there were “no signs of life” at the crash site.

Raisi, 63, had been serving as Iran’s president since August 2021 and was widely seen as the successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.

In this photo provided by the Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes off on the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the Qiz Qalasi Dam , or Girl’s Castle in Azerbaijan, Iran. , Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying President Raisi suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without giving further details. (Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA via AP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, Khamenei’s representative in East Azerbaijan, were also on board the helicopter. Iranian state media reported Sunday that the helicopter had suffered a “hard landing.” It was not until hours later that any news was given about their condition.

Raisi was in the region meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, where the two leaders announced a collaborative dam project.

In this photo provided by the Azerbaijan Presidential Press Office, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, left, shakes hands with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev during their meeting at the opening ceremony of the Qiz Qalasi Dam, o Girl’s Castle in Azeri, on the border of Iran and Azerbaijan, Sunday, May 19, 2024. A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a “forced landing” on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without give more details immediately. (Azerbaijan Presidential Press Office via AP)

The accident came as Raisi and the Iranian government launched a drone and missile attack on Israel last month and are closer than ever to enriching uranium to weapons-grade level.

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The helicopter was missing for hours after the crash, and poor weather conditions, including dense fog, hampered efforts to locate it.

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is next in line for the presidency. The Iranian constitution says that in the event of the death or incapacity of the president, the first vice president will assume the duties of the president until elections are held within 50 days. There are several vice presidents in Iran’s government who serve simultaneously, but Mokhber is the first. Raisi appointed him to the position in August 2021.

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