On Sunday, a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed, killing the Iranian President.

According to an Iranian official, the helicopter crashed while navigating through heavy fog and crossing over mountain terrain. The crash occurred on a return trip from a border visit with Azerbaijan. The official also stated that the lives of the President and his foreign minister were “at risk following the helicopter crash”. The state news agency IRNA reported that Raisi was flying in a U.S.-made Bell 212 helicopter, with state media reporting bad weather as the cause. Early on Monday, the national broadcaster displayed a rescue team searching the mountainside during a snowy blizzard. According to a senior Iranian official, all those aboard the helicopter were killed. In the wake of the death of the Iranian President, Supreme Leader Khamenei announced that First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber would assume the role of interim President. Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani assumed the role of acting foreign minister, following the death of Amirabdollahian, the former foreign minister who was also aboard the helicopter. Supreme Leader Khamenei also announced five days of public mourning to grieve the deaths.

Read more:

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hopes-fade-wreckage-found-helicopter-carrying-iranian-president-raisi-2024-05-20/

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/helicopter-iranian-presidents-convoy-accident-says-strate-tv-2024-05-19/