Iran declares five days of mourning for President

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared a period of mourning lasting five days following the passing of the country’s President, Ebrahim Raisi.

Mr. Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, tragically lost their lives in a helicopter accident in the mountainous terrain of north-western Iran. State media verified their demise after the helicopter they were aboard crashed on Sunday.

Expressing his condolences, Ayatollah Khamenei conveyed his sympathies “to the beloved people of Iran.”

At 63 years old, Mr. Raisi was viewed as a potential successor to the supreme leader. State media announced that elections for a new president would be held on 28 June.

In the interim, Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed to fulfill temporary presidential duties. Additionally, Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has been designated as the acting foreign minister.

Initially, reports suggested that the helicopter experienced difficulty landing in foggy conditions. The crash site is near the Azerbaijan border, where Mr. Raisi had been engaged in discussions with President Ilham Aliyev.

Local media indicated that Mr. Raisi’s visit was related to the inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi and Khodaafarin dams.

On Monday, the Iranian Red Crescent confirmed the retrieval of the deceased, including the president, concluding search efforts. The chief of the organization announced on state television the commencement of transferring the bodies of the deceased to Tabriz in Iran’s northwest.

Iranian news outlet Tasnim, which is affiliated with the country’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, reported that President Ebrahim Raisi’s funeral will be held on Tuesday in Tabriz.

Mr Raisi, 63, was a hard-line cleric and his election as president in 2021 consolidated the control of conservatives over every part of the Islamic Republic.

In a statement following his death, the Iranian government said it would continue to operate “without disruption”.

Several countries have expressed their condolences following President Raisi’s death.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a national day of mourning and described Mr. Raisi and Mr. Amir-Abdollahian as “good friends of Iran”.

Writing on social media, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened and shocked” by the deaths.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government was “in full contact and coordination with the Iranian authorities” and was ready to “provide any necessary support”.

He said Turkey would observe a national day of mourning.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed his condolences and said the president and foreign minister were “true, reliable friends of our country”, while China’s President Xi Jinping said Mr. Raisi had contributed to Iran’s security and stability.

The EU on Monday expressed its “sincere condolences” and European Council President Charles Michel said, “our thoughts go to the families”.

Hamas praised Mr Raisi’s support of the Palestinian group, while the Tehran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon said it was mourning the death of its protector.

However, the White House said the late president had been responsible for Iran’s support for “terrorist networks throughout the region” and that he had “a lot of blood on his hands”.