TEHRAN: Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri has been appointed as acting foreign minister, government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi said. The spokesperson made the announcement after death of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash, local media reported. Ali Bagheri has served as deputy foreign minister under Amir-Abdollahian.
Earlier, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber to assume interim duties after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash a day earlier.
Khamenei said in a statement, “In accordance with Article 131 of the constitution of Iran, Mokhber is in charge of leading the executive branch, saying that Mokhber will be required to work with the heads of legislative and judicial to prepare for presidential polls “within a maximum period of fifty days”.
The development comes as Iranian media including Mehr news agency said, “The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, had an accident while serving and performing his duty for the people of Iran and was “killed”. They reported that the Iranian president, foreign minister and other occupants of the helicopter, including East Azerbaijan Province Governor Malek Rahmati, have been killed.
Several countries including Pakistan expressed condolences over the death of Raisi in helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a “Day of Mourning” in the country over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province. In a statement via social media, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences and sympathies to the people of Iran on the death of President of Iran.
He said, “They were good friends of Pakistan. Pakistan will observe a day of mourning and the flag will fly at half-mast as a mark of respect for President of Iran and his companions and in solidarity with Brotherly Iran.
