Iran’s President Confirmed Dead in Helicopter Crash
After a grueling 15-hour search in foggy conditions, the helicopter carrying Ebrahim Raisi was finally located on a hillside near the Azerbaijan border.
Iranian Deputy President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri confirms the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and others in helicopter crash.
Footage show the area where Iranian president found ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/HRwToCLwCm
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) May 20, 2024
Iran’s top officials have formally declared the country’s president and foreign minister as dead.
BREAKING: The official announcement of the death of Iran President Raisi at the shrine of Imam Reza pic.twitter.com/cLOsMCUECH
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 20, 2024
“With the discovery of the crash site, no signs of life have been detected among the helicopter’s passengers,” the Red Crescent informed Iranian state television.
The deaths of all those onboard were confirmed in a statement on social media by Vice President Mohsen Mansouri.
Raisi, 63, was elected president in 2021.
In Iran’s dual political system, split between the clerical establishment and the government, it is Raisi’s 85-year-old mentor Khamenei, supreme leader since 1989, who holds decision-making power on all major policies.
For years, many had seen Raisi as a strong contender to succeed Khamenei, who has endorsed Raisi’s main policies.