After the tragic helicopter crash claimed the life of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday afternoon, the Supreme Leader of the country, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has declared a five-day period of national mourning in Iran, as reported by Press TV. Khamenei conveyed this announcement in a message on Monday, expressing deep sorrow upon receiving the “bitter news” of the death of his “companions with great sorrow.”
Ayatollah Khamenei remarked, “Dear Raeisi did not know fatigue,” emphasizing that the Iranian nation lost a dedicated and valuable servant in this tragic event, as reported by Press TV. Additionally, in accordance with Article 131 of the Constitution, Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is tasked with overseeing the executive branch, the Leader stated.
Ayatollah Khamenei urged Mokhber to facilitate the election of a new president within a maximum period of 50 days, in collaboration with the other two leaders of the government’s three branches.
The Iranian president, along with the foreign minister and their accompanying delegation, tragically lost their lives when the helicopter transporting them crashed in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan, amidst severe weather conditions on Sunday. Following an extensive overnight search operation, their bodies were discovered on Monday.
Mokhber, born in 1955 and considered close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, shares a similar background to Raisi. Shortly after assuming office, Raisi appointed Mokhber as his first vice president in August 2021, as reported by Al Jazeera.
In 2010, the European Union placed Mokhber on a list of individuals and entities subject to sanctions due to alleged participation in “nuclear or ballistic missile activities.”
Two years later, he was removed from the list.
According to Press TV, Ayatollah Khamenei has urged Mokhber to oversee the election of a new president within a maximum of 50 days, in collaboration with the other heads of the government’s three branches.
Meanwhile, Ali Bagheri Kani has been appointed as Iran’s acting foreign minister, succeeding the late Hossein Amirabdollahian. Kani has served as deputy foreign minister since September 2021 and previously held the position of deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council from 2007 to 2013, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Iranian state media confirmed earlier today the tragic deaths of 63-year-old Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and seven others in Sunday’s helicopter crash in the mountainous region of East Azerbaijan province.
Additionally, IRNA, the Iranian state media outlet, shared drone footage today, captured by the Red Crescent, showing the wreckage of the crashed helicopter. Tasnim, an outlet affiliated with the country’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, reported that Raisi’s funeral is scheduled for tomorrow in Tabriz.
The helicopter transporting Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and their delegation crashed yesterday in the Dizmar forest, situated between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azarbaijan Province, according to state media outlet Press TV. The incident occurred as the Iranian President was returning from a visit to Azerbaijan, amidst adverse weather conditions.