Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian died in a helicopter crash on Sunday (May 19). The incident happened in Iran’s East Azerbaijan region while it was originally reported 600 km northwest of Tehran, near the Azerbaijani border city of Jolfa. The charred wreckage of the helicopter was found early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the ultimate authority in the Shiite theocracy, swiftly appointed a relatively unknown vice president as caretaker and asserted that the government maintained control. However, the fatalities represented another setback for a nation grappling with internal and external challenges. Furthermore, the Iranian government announced a five day mourning in the country.
Crashed chopper: Chopper which had Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, and Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian. The view of the crashed chopper is of the site, Varzaghan area, northwestern Iran, May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Crash site: A Turkish drone suggested the crash site was on the side of a mountain in northwest Iran. (AP)
Rescue team: Rescue team heading towards the crash site to carry President Raisi on Monday, May 20, after the chopper crashed in the Varzaghan area. (Reuters)
Rescue operations: Rescue team carrying the body of a victim after the crashed helicopter of the Iranian President was found. (AP)
Homage: People paying condolences to the Iranian President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian, after they were declared dead in the chopper crash. (Reuters)
The crash occurs amidst increasing internal discord within Iran, marked by various political, social, and economic challenges. Iran’s clerical leaders are under international scrutiny concerning Tehran’s controversial nuclear program and its expanding military cooperation with Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine.