Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s president, dies in helicopter crash aged 63

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and key officials confirmed dead in helicopter crash amidst harsh weather

In a tragic incident, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead following a helicopter crash in the mountainous region of northwest Iran. The aircraft, which was part of a convoy returning from Azerbaijan, was found burned and wrecked after a 12-hour search.

Iranian President and High Officials Dies in Helicopter Crash

State media reported that the crash, attributed to bad weather, claimed the lives of all onboard, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other high-ranking officials. Rescue teams, battling thick fog and challenging terrain, discovered the charred remains of the helicopter early Monday morning.

"A senior Iranian official stated to Reuters, 'President Raisi, the foreign minister, and all passengers were dead in the crash.' Mehr news agency corroborated this, reporting, 'All passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred.'"

The exact cause of the crash remains unconfirmed, though the aircraft reportedly collided with a mountain. Drone footage revealed the tail section and scattered debris of the helicopter, identified by IRNA as an American-made Bell 212.

The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, described the wreckage's location as approximately 1.25 miles from the nearest vantage point, making the rescue operation particularly arduous.

The Nation Plunged into Mourning

President Raisi, 63, had recently been in Azerbaijan inaugurating a dam with the country's president and was seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His death, along with that of Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, East Azerbaijan's governor, and several other officials and bodyguards, has plunged the nation into mourning.

Global leaders have expressed their condolences, with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating on social media platform X, "India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow." Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also conveyed their sympathies, highlighting the international impact of this tragic event.