The Iranian Government has confirmed that President Ebrahim Raisi has been killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border. The wreckage of the helicopter, which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, was found early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.
A senior Iranian officials says President Raisi, the foreign minister and all the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash. Raisi’s death was confirmed in a statement on social media by Vice President Mohsen Mansouri and on state television. State TV reported that images from the site showed the aircraft slammed into a mountain peak, although there was no official word on the cause of the crash.
Raisi, 63, was long seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was elected president in 2021, and since taking office has ordered a tightening of morality laws, overseen a crackdown on anti-government protests and pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had earlier sought to reassure Iranians, saying there would be no disruption to state affairs.
Reuters reports that rescue teams fought blizzards and difficult terrain through the night to reach the wreckage. Earlier, the national broadcaster had stopped all regular programming to show prayers being held for Raisi across the country. Footage showed a rescue team, wearing bright jackets and head torches, huddled around a GPS device as they searched a pitch-black mountainside on foot in a blizzard. Meanwhile several countries have expressed concern and offered assistance.
The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden had been briefed on reports about the crash. China said it was deeply concerned. The European Union offered emergency satellite mapping technology. For years many have seen Raisi as a strong contender to succeed the Ayatollah, who has endorsed Raisi’s main policies.
Raisi’s victory in a closely managed election in 2021 brought all branches of power under the control of his government. Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border on Sunday to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who said he had bid a “friendly farewell” to Raisi earlier in the day, offered assistance in the rescue.
