Tehran, Iran - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was accident death on Sunday when the helicopter carrying him and several other officials crashed in northwestern Iran, according to Iranian state media reports.
The helicopter went down in a remote area near the city of Jolfa in East Azerbaijan province due to foggy weather conditions, state news agency IRINN reported. Search and rescue teams located the wreckage but found "no clue of any living persons," indicating there were no survivors.
Among the others believed killed in the crash were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the provincial governor. Nine people were reportedly onboard the helicopter.
Raisi, 62, was a hardline cleric who had served as chief justice before becoming president in 2021 in an election marred by irregularities. His tenure was marked by a brutal crackdown on dissent amid widespread protests against Iran's clerical leadership.
The helicopter crash comes at a volatile time in the region, with Iran recently carrying out drone and missile strikes against Israel in retaliation for an airstrike on its embassy in Damascus. Fighting had also flared between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.
European Union emergency services assisted Iranian teams in locating the crash site using satellite mapping due to the remote and mountainous terrain. However, cold temperatures and dense fog hampered recovery efforts.
Raisi's death throws more uncertainty over the future leadership of Iran as it confronts domestic unrest, economic turmoil from Western sanctions, and escalating tensions with rivals like Israel and Saudi Arabia. Constitutional procedures will guide the transition of power in Tehran.
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