More Details Emerge on the Death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, along with the country’s foreign minister and several other officials, were found dead on Monday following a helicopter crash in a foggy, mountainous region of northwest Iran, Excel Magazine International can report.
According to state media, Raisi was 63 years old.
The crash occurred amid heightened tensions in the Middle East due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Excel Magazine International recalls last month, under Raisi’s leadership and the directive of Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel.
Additionally, Iran has been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels, escalating tensions with Western nations.
Tehran has also supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and continued to arm proxy groups in the Middle East, including Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Iran has faced significant internal unrest in recent years, with mass protests against its Shiite theocracy driven by economic woes and women’s rights issues, adding to the sensitivity of this moment for Tehran and the country’s future.
State TV provided no immediate cause for the crash, which occurred in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
The Iranian Red Crescent confirmed the recovery of the bodies from the crash site, according to Agence France-Presse.
Among the dead was Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, 60. The helicopter also carried the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, other officials, and bodyguards, as reported by the state-run IRNA news agency.
Early Monday morning, Turkish authorities released drone footage showing a fire in the wilderness, which they suspected to be the wreckage of the helicopter.
The coordinates indicated the location was approximately 12 miles south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border, on a steep mountainside.
Footage released by IRNA showed the crash site in a steep valley within a green mountain range. Soldiers, speaking in the local Azeri language, confirmed the discovery of the site.
Supreme Leader Khamenei had urged the public to pray on Sunday night, expressing hope that Raisi and his colleagues would return safely.
However, he also emphasized that the business of Iran’s government would continue regardless of the circumstances.
According to the Iranian constitution, the vice president assumes the presidency with Khamenei’s assent, and a new presidential election must be called within 50 days.
First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber began receiving calls from officials and foreign governments in Raisi’s absence, state media reported.
An emergency Cabinet meeting was held following the announcement of the crash on Monday morning. The Cabinet issued a statement pledging to follow Raisi’s path, ensuring no disruption in the country’s management.
They described Raisi as a “hard-working president” who had been “martyred” and vowed to continue government operations seamlessly.
Raisi, a hard-liner and former head of the judiciary, was considered a protégé of Khamenei, with some analysts suggesting he could succeed the 85-year-old leader.
With Raisi’s death, the only other suggested successor is Mojtaba Khamenei, the 55-year-old son of the supreme leader. However, concerns have been raised about the position potentially becoming hereditary, reminiscent of the Pahlavi monarchy overthrown during the Islamic Revolution.
Raisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election, which saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. He was sanctioned by the U.S. over his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, following the Iran-Iraq war.
In a 2022 interview with “60 Minutes,” Raisi criticized the sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump and maintained by President Biden, calling them “tyrannical.”
Mass protests have plagued Iran for years, the most recent sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly not wearing a hijab properly. The resulting security crackdown killed over 500 people and saw more than 22,000 detained. A United Nations panel in March found Iran responsible for the violence leading to Amini’s death.
Raisi is the second Iranian president to die in office. In 1981, President Mohammad Ali Rajai was killed in a bomb blast during the chaotic post-revolution days.
Raisi had been in Azerbaijan on Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. Despite strained relations, including a 2023 gun attack on Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Tehran and Azerbaijan’s diplomatic ties with Israel, the visit marked the third dam collaboration on the Aras River.
Iran operates various helicopters, but international sanctions have made obtaining parts challenging. Much of its military air fleet dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, compounding maintenance difficulties.
As Iran processes the loss of its president and key officials, the immediate future remains uncertain. However, the government’s swift action to maintain continuity signals a determination to uphold stability amid the turbulent regional and domestic landscape.
