Iran mourns President Raisi's tragic helicopter crash
The President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, has died in a helicopter crash. The government has called an urgent meeting. Reports of Raisi's death on Monday morning were confirmed by Iran's Vice President for Executive Affairs, Mohsen Mansouri.
"Upon the martyrdom of the president and the minister of foreign affairs, the government cabinet convened an urgent meeting," reads a short statement from the Iranian news agency IRNA.
After the meeting, the date for the mourning ceremonies commemorating the President and the Minister, who died in the helicopter crash, will likely be announced, reports the ISNA agency.
President of Iran is dead
Before the official government announcement, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Pir Hossein Kolivand, had earlier reported his death.
The helicopter, which carried Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Governor of East Azerbaijan Malik Rahmati, and the Imam of Tabriz Mohammad Ali Al-Hashem, crashed near Jolfa in the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan. The machine hit the side of a mountain and completely burned up.
The crash occurred as President Raisi returned from the inauguration ceremony of a dam on the Aras River at the border of Iran and Azerbaijan, which he attended along with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
There were three helicopters in the convoy, two of which returned safely.
According to Iran's constitution, in the event of the President's death, the first vice president, Mohammad Mochber, will assume office with the consent of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. After 50 days, presidential elections will be organized.
