Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi killed in helicopter crash

 

The Iranian leader was killed in a helicopter crash in a mountainous terrain near the border with Azerbaijan

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a commemoration for the late Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone attack in 2020 in Iraq, at the Imam Khomeini grand mosque, on January 3, 2024, in Tehran.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been killed in a helicopter crash in a remote region of the country.

Rescue teams identified Raisi’s body early Monday after beginning a search in the mountainous northwest of Iran, near the border with Azerbaijan, on Sunday afternoon. A hardline religious conservative, Raisi had long been considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Elected president in 2021, Raisi had enforced stricter morality laws, overseen a crackdown on anti-government protests, and resisted international oversight of Tehran’s nuclear program in talks with world powers.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has sought to reassure the nation that state affairs will continue without disruption.

The urgency to replace the government’s leadership is significant, with Iran amid heightened Middle Eastern tensions.

Israel’s war in Gaza has led to lower-level conflicts with Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Last month, Iran and Israel exchanged direct strikes.

Several countries expressed concern and offered assistance during the search for Raisi.

The White House reported that US President Joe Biden had been briefed on the crash. China expressed deep concern, and the European Union offered emergency satellite mapping technology.

Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border on Sunday to inaugurate the Qiz Qalasi dam, a joint project.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who bid a “friendly farewell” to Raisi earlier in the day, also offered rescue assistance.

Born in Mashhad on December 14, 1960, Raisi belonged to a family tracing its lineage to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, signified by the black turban he wore. His father died when he was five.

Raisi attended the seminary in the Shiite holy city of Qom and later received the title of ayatollah, traditionally reserved for high-ranking Shia clerics but more commonly used in recent years.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev visit the Qiz Qalasi dam on the Azerbaijan-Iran border, on May 19, 2024. [Handout/Office of the President of Iran via Reuters

null

Screengrab taken from handout video released by the IRINN Iranian state television network on May 19, 2024 shows Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on board a helicopter in the Jolfa region of the western province of East Azerbaijan.

null

iranian President Ebrahim Raisi holds a national team shirt during a meeting with members of the Iranian national football team in Tehran, Iran, on November 14, 2022. [Handout/Presidential Website via Reuters]

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi poses for a photo during an official visit, at Harare airport in Harare, Zimbabwe, on July 13, 2023. [Handout/Office of the President of Iran via Reuters]

Share on Google Plus

About somrat

Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis.