Several hours after the helicopter in which he was traveling along with others went missing, the State of Iran has confirmed the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, Foreign Minister Amir Abd al-Lahyan, and at least three others after rescuers reached the crash site and pulled out their dead bodies.

Mohammed Mokhber, Iran’s Acting President

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in the Shiite theocracy, quickly named a little-known vice president as caretaker and insisted the government was in control, but the deaths mark yet another blow to a country beset by pressures both at home and abroad.

The discovery came after a long night of searching in freezing conditions. It was speculated that the Helicopter may have been shot down by enemies of Iran aftermath of the country’s direct intervention in the Gaza war between Israel and Palestine.

Where the Helicopter Crashed

Shortly before the discovery, Iranian Red Crescent Society head Pir-Hossein Kolivand said the situation was “not good.” According to Reuters, the helicopter was completely burned in the crash. Altogether eight persons were on board including the crew members.

On board were the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Abd al-Lahyan, the representative of the supreme leader in the East Azerbaijan province, the Governor of East Azerbaijan province, and others, and there was no survivor.

Iranians are already mourning the death of President Ebrahim Raisi who was killed in a helicopter crash along with his foreign minister and others. A Turkish drone suggested the crash site was on the side of a mountain in northwest Iran.
Iran has offered no cause for the crash nor suggested sabotage brought down the helicopter, which fell into mountainous terrain in a sudden, intense fog.

In Tehran, Iran’s capital, businesses were initially opened and children attended school on Monday. However, there was a noticeable presence of both uniformed and plainclothes security forces downtown.

The crash comes as the Israel-Hamas war abates in the region. Iran-backed Hamas led the attack that started the conflict, and Hezbollah, also supported by Tehran, has fired rockets at Israel. Last month, Iran launched its unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel.

Iran has flown Bell helicopters extensively since the Shah’s era. But aircraft in Iran face a shortage of parts, in part because of Western sanctions, and often fly without safety checks. Against that backdrop, former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sought to blame the United States for the crash in an interview Monday.

The helicopter carrying the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took off at the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, Iran, Sunday, May 19, 2024.

A hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary, Raisi was viewed as a protege of Khamenei. During his tenure, relations deteriorated with the West as Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels and supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine. His government has also faced years of mass protests over the ailing economy and women’s rights — making the moment that much more sensitive.

World Leaders React to Raisi’s Death

China
President Xi Jinping called the “tragic death” of Raisi “a great loss to the Iranian people and the Chinese people have lost a good friend”, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

European Union
President of the European Council, Charles Michel, expressed the bloc’s “sincere condolences” for the death of Raisi, Amirabollahian, and the other Iranian officials who died in the crash. Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, also offered his condolences. “The EU expresses its sympathies to the families of all the victims and the Iranian citizens affected,” he said in a statement.

India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened and shocked” by Raisi’s death.
“His contribution to strengthening the India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow,” Modi wrote on X.

Iraq
“We express our solidarity with the brotherly Iranian people and the officials of the Islamic Republic during this painful tragedy,” Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani said in a statement.

Hamas
The Palestinian group conveyed its “deepest condolences and solidarity to Khamenei, the government, and the Iranian people for “this immense loss”. It praised Raisi and Amirabollahian for supporting Palestine against Israel and expressed confidence that Iran’s “deep-rooted institutions” will overcome “the repercussions of this great loss”.

Malaysia
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was “deeply saddened” by the news, noting that he had the “honour” of meeting Raisi last November. “His dedication to justice, peace, and the upliftment of the ummah [the Islamic community] was truly inspiring. We committed ourselves to bolstering Malaysia-Iran relations, working together for the betterment of our people and the Muslim world. Our pledge will be fulfilled,” Ibrahim said.

Pakistan
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared a day of mourning in Pakistan. “May the martyred souls rest in heavenly peace. The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage,” Sharif wrote on X.

Qatar
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani expressed his condolences to the people of Iran.
“Asking God Almighty for mercy and forgiveness for [those killed] and for their families with patience and solace. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return,” he wrote on X.

Russia
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed condolences over the death of two top officials he called “reliable friends” of Russia. “Their role in strengthening mutually beneficial Russian-Iranian cooperation and trusting partnership is invaluable,” Lavrov said.

“We sincerely extend our condolences to the families and friends of the victims, as well as to the entire friendly people of Iran. Our thoughts and hearts are with you in this sad hour.” President Vladimir Putin joined Lavrov in offering Tehran condolences. “Raisi was an outstanding politician whose entire life was dedicated to serving his homeland,” Putin said in a letter to Khamenei, published on the Kremlin’s website.

“As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good-neighbourly relations between our countries, and made great efforts to take them to the level of a strategic partnership,” he added.

Turkey
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed condolences and said Ankara had been in contact with Iran since hearing about the crash on Sunday. He said Turkey’s relevant institutions, including the defence ministry and the disaster management authority, tried “their best but unfortunately, we weren’t able to hear good news,” he told a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, in Islamabad.

Yemen’s Houthis
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee, expressed his “deepest condolences” to the Iranian people and the families of the officials who died in the crash. Al-Houthi added his certainty that Iran would continue “adhering to the loyal leaders of their people, by God’s will”.
With Reports from Al Jezeral and Reuters.