TEHRAN: Tens of thousands of Iranians gathered on Tuesday to begin the three-day funeral ceremonies for President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash on Sunday night.
The somber procession began in the northwestern city of Tabriz, where Raisi and his entourage were headed before their helicopter crashed on a fog-covered mountainside in East Azerbaijan province of the country. Mourners, adorned with Iranian flags and portraits of the late president, solemnly followed a lorry carrying the coffins of Raisi and his seven aides, paying their respects to the fallen leaders.
The ill-fated helicopter, en route back to Tabriz following Raisi’s participation in the inauguration of a dam project on the Aras River, lost communication amidst adverse weather conditions. A frantic search and rescue operation ensued after two accompanying helicopters lost contact with Raisi’s aircraft.
State television announced Raisi’s death, hailing him as a martyr and servant of the Iranian nation, while mourning the loss of Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian, provincial officials, and security personnel who perished in the crash. Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, has ordered an investigation into the crash, seeking to probe the circumstances leading to the fatal accident.
Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of national mourning. He has appointed Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as acting president until a new election can be convened. The election has been scheduled for June 28. Meanwhile, Ali Bagheri has been appointed as acting foreign minister.
Raisi’s funeral proceedings will see his body transported to Qom city before arriving in Tehran for a farewell ceremony led by Ayatollah Khamenei. Processions are slated to take place in the capital on Wednesday, culminating in Raisi’s burial in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday evening.
