Iranian state media reported President Ebrahim Raisi’s death on Monday after his helicopter crashed in a mountainous region. The government has not officially confirmed his death. Search teams had combed the area since Sunday afternoon when the helicopter carrying Raisi, the foreign minister, and others went missing. On Monday, relief workers located the helicopter, confirming the president’s demise.
State television declared Raisi a martyr in service to the Iranian nation, a sentiment echoed by Mehr news agency. Images of Raisi, accompanied by Quranic recitations, were broadcast on state TV. Mohsen Mansouri, Iran’s vice president for executive affairs, shared a Quranic verse expressing condolences.
Concerns mounted for the 63-year-old ultraconservative president after contact was lost with the helicopter in East Azerbaijan province on Sunday. Iranian Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand led rescue teams to the crash site, but no survivors were found. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi attributed the crash to adverse weather conditions. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reassured Iranians of stability.
Following the incident, Iran’s cabinet held an emergency meeting, and various security forces aided in the search efforts. Raisi had been in the northwestern province to inaugurate a dam project with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. Foreign nations closely monitored the situation amid regional tensions. Hamas expressed solidarity with Iran following the crash. Foreign media channels deemed hostile to Iran were discouraged by Vahidi, urging reliance on state television for information. The incident occurred amidst heightened tensions in the region, including the Gaza war and Tehran’s ongoing missile launches at Israel.
