The President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, and its foreign minister were killed when their helicopter crashed on Sunday in a mountainous and icy area in East Azerbaijan, according to reports at Reuters.
The helicopter of Iran’s President crashed on Sunday while flying through a foggy and cold area, killing all passengers on board.
Iranian officials reported that the helicopter “was completely burned”, with only the tail of the helicopter remaining intact which is corroborated by images of the wreckage circulating widely on the internet.
BREAKING: MANY BODIES OF THOSE DIED IN IRAN PRESIDENT RAISI HELICOPTER CRASH HAVE BEEN BURNT AND CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED pic.twitter.com/ilM0ohOmnZ
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 20, 2024
The helicopter was carrying nine persons, says Reuters, and all were killed, with some burned beyond recognition.
Iran’s state news agency said the President was flying in a U.S. made Bell 212 helicopter and that it is unclear what caused the crash.
When the news broke about the crash, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made an announcement to Iranian TV stating that there would be no disruption to the country’s state of affairs.
Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, will become the interim president and will organize a new presidential election within 50 days of the president’s death.
Raisi was a controversial figure and harsh critic of the west, taking a hard stance against protests at home related to the enforcement of the “hijab and chastity law” and a hard line in nuclear talks.
The President was considered the frontrunner candidate to succeed the current supreme leader Khamenei.
The events are being watched closely throughout the world, but political analysts say that the event is not likely to cause big changes in Iranian politics as the supreme leader plays the most critical role in shaping domestic and foreign policy.
