The current president of Iran Ebrahim raisi, foreign minister Amir-Abdollahian and 7 other passenger die in helicopter crash on Sunday in a mountainous region of the country’s northwest, in Tehran, on Wednesday, May 22,2024 , confirmed by Iranian media.
Raisi flew to the far north-western province of East Azerbaijan on Sunday morning for the inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi and Khoda Afarin dams, a joint hydroelectric power project with neighbouring Azerbaijan on the Aras River.
He was joined at the ceremony by Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, who said he had bid a “friendly farewell” before the helicopter departed the dam area and flew towards the city of Tabriz, about 130km (80 miles) to the south.
Raisi had been scheduled to inaugurate a project at the Tabriz oil refinery.
After their death Iranian authorities have so far from the cause even not given a cause. But the government ministers have described how the helicopter crashed after getting into difficulties in heavy fog and rain.
But on the other hand Iranian state media Press TV and semi-official Tasnim and Mehr news agencies reported all those on board were killed.
All of the news agencies and Reuters also reported that there was an official sitting behind their death.
The cause of the crash remains unclear, but the Chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hussein Bagheri has launched an investigation, according to state media.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali has announced five days mourning and Ministers also promised Iranians that they would follow Raisi’s path and there would “be no problem with management of the country”.
Over the death of Raisi, the US offered its condolences but called him a “brutal participant in the oppression of the Iranian people” who had “blood on his hands”.
Extending the US condolences, Russian President Vladimir Putin describes Raisi as a “true friend of Russia”, while China described his death as a “great loss to the Iranian people”.
After a deep sorrow in Iran Mohammad Mokhber, Ebrahim Raisi’s deputy, has been named acting president, in line with Article 131 of Iran’s constitution while Ali Bagheri Kani, who was deputy foreign minister, has been named foreign minister.
