Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dies in a helicopter crash
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dies in a helicopter crash in a remote area of the country.
Search teams found Raisi’s body early Monday after starting their efforts in the mountainous northwest region near the Azerbaijani border on Sunday afternoon.
Raisi, known for his hardline religious conservatism, was considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since his election in 2021, Raisi had tightened morality laws, cracked down on antigovernment protests, and adopted a tough stance in negotiations about Tehran’s nuclear program with world powers.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reassured the public that state affairs will continue smoothly, despite the urgent need for new leadership amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
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The conflict between Israel and Gaza has sparked lower-level clashes with Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Last month, Iran and Israel exchanged direct strikes.
Multiple countries expressed concern and offered assistance during the search for Raisi.
The White House stated that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the crash, China voiced deep concern, and the European Union offered emergency satellite mapping technology.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dies in a helicopter crash
Raisi was at the Azerbaijani border on Sunday to inaugurate the Qiz Qalasi dam, a joint project. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who had said a “friendly farewell” to Raisi earlier that day, also offered help in the rescue mission.
Born on December 14, 1960, in Mashhad, Raisi came from a family with lineage tracing back to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, symbolized by the black turban he wore.
Orphaned at five, he attended seminary in the Shiite holy city of Qom and later received the title of ayatollah.
Raisi is survived by his wife and two daughters.
