TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday announced five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province.
“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the helicopter crash.
In accordance with constitutional protocol, Ayatollah Khamenei has appointed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as the acting president. Mokhber will oversee the government’s operations until elections are held within the next 50 days, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.
The incident occurred late Sunday night, claiming the lives of President Raisi, the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and several other officials. The crash site, nestled in a foggy, mountainous region, was discovered after an exhaustive search effort. The loss of Raisi, a prominent figure in Iranian politics at the age of 63, has left the nation reeling.
The Iranian cabinet has appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani as the acting foreign minister, ensuring continuity in diplomatic affairs during this challenging period.
Lebanon and Syria have announced three days of national mourning, while Pakistan has announced one-day mourning to condole the death of Raisi.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed deep sorrow over the loss, highlighting the personal connection he shared with the late foreign minister. Similarly, leaders from Pakistan, India, Egypt, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia have extended their condolences.
Iran’s government reassured the public that continuity and stability will be maintained. First Vice President Mokhber has already begun assuming presidential duties, receiving calls from officials and foreign dignitaries.
President Raisi’s untimely demise marks a significant moment in Iranian history, reminiscent of the tragic loss of President Mohammad Ali Rajai in 1981.
The helicopter also carried the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Early Monday morning, Turkish authorities released what they described as drone footage showing what appeared to be a fire in the wilderness that they “suspected to be the wreckage of the helicopter.” The coordinates listed in the footage put the fire some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border on the side of a steep mountain.
Footage released by the IRNA early Monday showed what the agency described as the crash site, across a steep valley in a green mountain range. Soldiers speaking in the local Azeri language said: “There it is, we found it.”
China’s President Xi Jinping has said that the “tragic death” of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash was “a great loss to the people of Iran “, according to Chinese foreign ministry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also sent his condolences to Iran’s Khamenei, describing the deaths of the Iranian president and top diplomat as a “great tragedy,” the Kremlin said in a statement. In a statement via Telegram President Putin paid tribute to President Raisi.
The Government and the people of Pakistan expressed deep sadness and shock over the tragic news of the martyrdom of President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, and the Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and to the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this moment of profound grief and sorrow. Our prayers are with the families of the martyrs and the people of Iran. We stand in solidarity with them in this time of national tragedy.”
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said he and his government were “deeply shocked” — Raisi was returning on Sunday after traveling to Iran’s border with Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam with Aliyev when the crash happened.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conveyed his condolences. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement released by the Kremlin, described Raisi “as a true friend of Russia.”
Khamenei, who had himself urged the public to pray Sunday night, stressed the business of Iran’s government would continue no matter what.
Under the Iranian constitution, Iran’s vice first president takes over if the president dies, with Khamenei’s assent, and a new presidential election would be called within 50 days.
An emergency meeting of Iran’s Cabinet was held as state media made the announcement Monday morning. The Cabinet issued a statement afterwards pledging it would follow Raisi’s path and that “with the help of God and the people, there will be no problem with the management of the country.”
Raisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election. Raisi was the second Iranian president to die in office.
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