Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and all other passengers were killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain and icy weather, officials and state media said, after search teams located the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province.

Tehran

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have been killed in a helicopter crash. The crash occurred in East Azerbaijan province, and all passengers on board were also killed. The charred wreckage of the aircraft was located after an overnight search conducted by teams battling harsh weather and challenging terrain.

The crash site was found early in the morning, and Iranian Vice President confirmed Raisi's death through a post on X and on state television. Raisi was visiting the Azerbaijani border to inaugurate a joint dam project when the accident happened. The cause of the crash has not yet been officially determined.

Following the incident, state television halted regular programming to broadcast prayers for President Raisi. Ebrahim Raisi, aged 63, was elected president in 2021. During his tenure, he enforced stricter morality laws, managed a severe crackdown on anti-government protests, and was assertive in nuclear negotiations with world powers. Raisi was considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Political analysts suggest that a contest for Raisi's replacement may already be underway. The crash occurs at a time when Iran faces considerable international pressure over its nuclear program, military ties with Russia, and its connections to Hamas in Gaza. Both China and the United States have expressed their concern over the event, with President Joe Biden being briefed on the situation.



Iran's president Raisi killed in helicopter crash

IRANIAN PRESIDENT IBRAHIM RAISI AND HIS FOREIGN MINISTER WERE KILLED IN A HELICOPTER CRASH ON SUNDAY. THE CHARRED WRECKAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND EARLY ON MONDAY AFTER AN OVERNIGHT SEARCH. RAISI'S DEATH WAS CONFIRMED BY IRAN'S VICE PRESIDENT ON X AND ON STATE TELEVISION. PRESIDENT RAISI, THE FOREIGN MINISTER AND ALL THE PASSENGERS IN THE HELICOPTER WERE KILLED IN THE CRASH. FEW TEAMS FOUGHT BLIZZARDS AND DIFFICULT TERRAIN THROUGH THE NIGHT TO REACH THE CRASH SITE IN EAST AZERBAIJAN PROVINCE IN THE EARLY HOURS OF MONDAY. RAISI HAD BEEN AT THE AZERBAIJANI BORDER TO INAUGURATE A JOINT DAM PROJECT. THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL WORD YET ON THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. STATE TV HALTED REGULAR PROGRAMMING ON SUNDAY TO SHOW PRAYERS FOR RAISI BEING HELD ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE 63-YEAR-OLD WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT IN 2021. SINCE TAKING OFFICE, RAISI HAD ORDERED A TIGHTENING OF MORALITY LAWS, OVERSEEN A BLOODY CRACKDOWN ON ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS AND PUSHED HARD IN NUCLEAR TALKS WITH WORLD POWERS. IRAN'S DUAL POLITICAL SYSTEM IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE CLERICAL ESTABLISHMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT AND IT IS THE SUPREME LEADER RATHER THAN THE PRESIDENT WHO HAS THE FINAL SAY ON ALL MAJOR POLICIES. BUT FOR YEARS, MANY HAVE SEEN RAISI AS A STRONG CONTENDER TO SUCCEED HIS 85-YEAR-OLD MENTOR, SUPREME LEADER AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, WHO HAS STRONGLY ENDORSED RAISI'S MAIN POLICIES. I mean, I think a lot of people might celebrate or might be happy, but also a lot of people I think naturally would be very worried as to, you know, the potential political stability and what it could have. A CONTEST TO REPLACE RAISI MAY ALREADY BE IN THE WORKS, ACCORDING TO ARASH AZIZI, AN IRAN POLITICAL ANALYST AT THE CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST AND GLOBAL ORDER. We all expected a ferocious struggle for power to begin after Khamenei dies. It might have already begun with this incident. THE CRASH COMES AS IRAN FACES PRESSURE OVER ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM, ITS MILITARY TIES TO RUSSIA AND ITS CONNECTIONS TO HAMAS, WHICH IS FIGHTING ISRAEL IN GAZA. COUNTRIES INCLUDING CHINA EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER RAISI, WHILE THE WHITE HOUSE SAID U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THE SITUATION.

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