After twelve hours of research, Iranian state media announced this Monday morning the death of President Ebrahim Raïssi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian after a helicopter crash.
President Ebrahim Raïssi and his Foreign Minister did not survive the helicopter crash near the Azerbaijani border : this was confirmed by several state media after a night of intense searches in northwest Iran.
On X, the Iranian presidency confirms the death of President Ebrahim Raïssi. “The servant of the Iranian people, Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was martyred while serving the people”assumes the presidency.
Significant resources have been deployed to find the helicopter since the announcement of its disappearance. Search operations by the 40 Red Crescent rescue teams deployed in the area are complicated by thick fog.
“There are currently three drone teams in the area but due to heavy fog and low visibility, the drones were unable to operate successfully. There are also three teams with rescue dogs in the area” said Hamid Monajem, head of the Red Crescent of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
The helicopter carrying the Iranian president crashed while flying over a mountainous area. The device was eventually located on Sunday evening, the Red Crescent announced. But quickly worry predominated. The emergency services declared that the “situation is not good” to hope to find survivors.
Ebrahim Raisi was traveling to the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevthe third that the two countries are building jointly on the Aras River.
State television said the incident occurred near Jolfa, a town on the border with Azerbaijansome 600 kilometers northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other officials accompanied Raisi, state-run IRNA news agency reported.
EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič said the Copernicus emergency management service was activated at Iran’s request. European Council President Charles Michel offered his condolences after the Iranian leader’s death was confirmed and said the European Union and its partners were monitoring the situation closely.
Ebrahim Raïssi is considered the protégé of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and an ultraconservative. Under his leadership, Iran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel last month and experienced an unprecedented wave of protests at the end of 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested for non-compliance. of the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calls on the population not to worry, while the president is still nowhere to be found.“We hope that Almighty God will bring back the respected and honorable president and his companions to the arms of the nation. Everyone should pray for the health of this group of servants. If the Iranian people do not worry, they will not ‘there will be no disruption in the work of the country’declared Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on television.
Ebrahim Raïssi’s replacement and future interim president is Mohammad Mokhber, 68, first vice-president since August 2021until the organization of a new election, “within a maximum of 50 days”. He was born in Dezfoul in the southwest province of Khuzestan, where he held several official positions. He was also a business manager and has chaired the Foundation of the Order of the Imam (Setad) since 2007.