A day after Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared five days of public mourning and named First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as the acting leader of the executive branch.
According to the Islamic Republic’s constitution, in the event of a president’s death while in office, the first vice president assumes leadership for a 50-day term, subject to the Supreme Leader’s consent. The Supreme Leader has the final say on all matters pertaining to Iranian state policy.
After the 50 days, a fresh election for president would take place.
Ali Bagheri, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, has been appointed acting foreign minister.
According to Iranian state media, a Bell 212 helicopter carrying Iran’s president, Dr Seyed Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister crashed in the country’s hilly northwest, in Jolfa on Sunday while it was flying through mountains in dense fog. The president died in the crash incident as search teams found the wreckage on Monday.
At the scene of the helicopter crash that carried Raisi, his Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollhian, and other high-ranking officials, “no survivors” were discovered. The downed chopper was found by rescue crews after hours of searching through rugged terrain in bad weather. “In the crash, President Raisi’s helicopter was entirely burnt,” an official informed news agency Reuters.
Iran’s national media reported that there was “no sign” of life among the occupants of the helicopter. “Upon finding the helicopter, there was no sign of the helicopter passengers being alive as of yet,” according to state television.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, search and rescue efforts have concluded and the bodies of President Ebrahim Raisi and the other victims of the helicopter crash have been located.
Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand told state TV, “We are in the process of transferring the bodies of the martyrs to Tabriz” in northwest Iran, adding that “the search operations have come to an end.”
