Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border.
The charred wreckage of the helicopter, which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, was discovered in the early hours of Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.
A senior Iranian official confirmed to Reuters that “President Raisi, the foreign minister, and all the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash,” but asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Raisi’s death was later officially confirmed in a statement on social media by Vice President Mohsen Mansouri and on state television.
Images from the crash site showed the aircraft had slammed into a mountain peak, although no official cause of the crash was immediately provided.
State news agency IRNA reported that Raisi, a hardliner who was often seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was flying in a U.S.-made Bell 212 helicopter.
The 63-year-old Raisi was elected president in 2021 and, since taking office, has implemented stricter morality laws, overseen a harsh crackdown on anti-government protests, and played a key role in nuclear talks with world powers.
