Tehran [Iran], May 20 (ANI): Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has died in the helicopter crash, Mehr News Agency, a semi-official news agency of the Iranian government said on Monday.
However, there has been no official confirmation of this.
Mehr news agency today reported that the Iranian president, foreign minister and other occupants of the helicopter, including East Azerbaijan Province Governor Malek Rahmati, have been “martyred”.
There is still no official confirmation that Raisi is dead, but medics have said that they found “no signs” of life at the crash site.
The crash site of the helicopter carrying President Raisi was found in the forested mountains earlier today.
Drone footage shared by Iranian state news agency IRNA showed wreckage of President Raisi’s helicopter. The footage was shot by the Red Crescent
The wreckage was found on the route from Khoylar village to Kelem.
Tasnim News Agency reported from Varzeqan that after the probable coordinates of the crash site were announced, rescue teams immediately went to the designated location, but there was no sign of the helicopter.
The search operation continued as daylight broke along the Khoylar to Kelem route.
Rescue teams then noticed the helicopter’s blades and wings on a hill and immediately changed their course towards the hill.
The Iranian Red Crescent head highlighted that, according to the videos from the rescue teams, the entire cabin of the helicopter was significantly damaged and burned, adding that there were no signs of survivors on the site.
As the Iranian rescue teams located Raisi’s helicopter, no clue of any living persons was reported in the crash, according to Iran-based Press TV.
He did not give further detail but said “the condition is not good”, state news agency IRNA reported. “73 rescue teams are present in the search area of the helicopter in Tawal village with advanced and specialized equipment”, he added.
Raisi was returning to Iran following a visit to Azerbaijan when his helicopter came down in bad weather conditions on Sunday afternoon.
Nine people were on the helicopter that crashed in northwest Iran on Sunday, including three officials, an imam, and flight and security team members, as reported by Tasnim News.
The IRGC-run media outlet, Sepah, reported the nine included: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian; Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, Tabriz’s Friday prayer Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem as well as a pilot, copilot, crew chief, head of security, and another bodyguard.
For the first time, Iran is going through such a situation. The country has never seen something similar with the president and the foreign minister disappearing in a helicopter crash, reported Al Jazeera.
The incident sparked global attention, and the foreign countries extended help with the search operations. The Turks sent their drones and the Russians sent their equipment, while the global leaders and the people of Iran prayed for the Iranian president and the other people on board. (ANI)

Iran President dies in chopper crash, Vice President to assume interim duties: Khamenei

Tehran [Iran], May 20 (ANI): Iran‘s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday tasked Vice President Mohammad Mokhber to assume interim duties after President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed to have died in the helicopter crash, a day before.
Iranian State media earlier today confirmed the deaths of the 63-year-old Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and seven others in Sunday’s helicopter crash in the mountainous region of the country’s East Azerbaijan province a day earlier.
Meanwhile, the Iranian cabinet has appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani as acting foreign minister following the death of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Khamenei, in a message issued on Monday morning, expressed his great sadness over the deaths and offered condolences to people of his country.
Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is expected to assume interim duties shortly.
“In accordance with Article 131 of the constitution, Mokhber is in charge of leading the executive branch,” Khamenei said in a statement. He added that Mokhber will be required to work with the heads of legislative and judicial to prepare for presidential elections “within a maximum period of 50 days,” he said.
Earlier today, Iranian state media IRNA shared drone footage shot by the the Red Crescent showing the wreckage of the crashed helicopter.
News outlet Tasnim, which is affiliated to the country’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps reported that Raisi’s funeral will be held tomorrow in Tabriz.
Kani has served as deputy foreign minister since September 2021, reported Al Jazeera.
Moreover, he was deputy secretary of Iran‘s Supreme National Security Council between 2007 and 2013, Al Jazeera reported.

Following Iran’s President’s demise, Supreme Leader Khamenei announces 5 days of national mourning

Tehran [Iran], May 20 (ANI): Following the demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday afternoon, country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has announced five days of national mourning in Iran, according to Press TV.
Khamenei declared the same in a message on Monday, and stated that he received the “bitter news” of the death of his “companions with great sorrow.”
“Dear Raeisi did not know fatigue,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that the Iranian nation lost a sincere and valuable servant in this tragic incident, according to Press TV.
According to Article 131 of the Constitution, Vice President Mohammad Mokhber assumes managing the executive branch, the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei urged Mokhber to arrange to elect a new president within a maximum of 50 days in cooperation with the other two heads of the three branches of the government.
The Iranian president, foreign minister and their accompanying delegation lost their lives after the helicopter carrying them crashed in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan due to harsh weather conditions on Sunday. Their bodies were found on Monday after an extensive night-long search operation.
Mokhber, born in 1955, like Raisi, is seen as being close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Shortly after taking office, Raisi had appointed Mokhber as his first vice president in August 2021, according to Al Jazeera.
In 2010, the European Union included Mokhber on a list of individuals and entities it was sanctioning for alleged involvement in “nuclear or ballistic missile activities”.
Two years later, it removed him from the list.
According to Press TV, Ayatollah Khamenei urged Mokhber to arrange to elect a new president within a maximum of 50 days in cooperation with the other two heads of the three branches of the government.
Meanwhile, Ali Bagheri Kani is appointed as Iran‘s acting foreign minister, following the death of Hossein Amirabdollahian.
He has served as deputy foreign minister since September 2021.
Kani was deputy secretary of Iran‘s Supreme National Security Council between 2007 and 2013, according to Al Jazeera.
Iranian state media earlier today confirmed the 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 the country’s East Azerbaijan province.
Earlier today, Iranian state media IRNA shared drone footage shot by the Red Crescent showing the wreckage of the crashed helicopter.
News outlet Tasnim, which is affiliated with the country’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, reported that Raisi’s funeral will be held tomorrow in Tabriz.
The helicopter carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and his accompanying delegation crashed a day ago in the Dizmar forest, nestled between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azarbaijan Province, state media outlet Press TV reported today.
The Iranian President was returning following a visit to Azerbaijan when his helicopter came down in bad weather conditions. (ANI)