The president of Iran died in a helicopter crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash together with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdolahian, Iranian state television reported, as reported by the Guardian. Their deaths were confirmed after a helicopter crash in eastern Azerbaijan, Press TV reported, without citing a source. The cause of the accident is not yet known.

The helicopter carrying President Raisi and Amirabdolahian crashed while flying over a mountainous area, through dense fog, returning from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan, Reuters reports, citing an Iranian official as saying.

Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that there were nine passengers in the helicopter. Among the dead are Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdolahian (60), East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati and Major General Seyed Mehdi Mousavi, head of security for the Iranian president.

Vice President Mohamed Mokber leads an emergency cabinet meeting following the news of President Raisi's death, state media reports.

In a statement, the government expressed its condolences to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Iranian nation and said it would continue to work "without interference", reports Press TV.

"The president of the Iranian people, a tireless worker... sacrificed his life for the nation," the government said.

"We assure the faithful nation that with the help of God and the support of the people, there will not be the slightest disruption in the governance of the country," the statement said, Beta reports.

The ministers also paid tribute to the late president and his "tireless efforts," according to Iran's Tasnim news agency.

According to Iranian law, if the president dies, power is transferred to the first vice president, which is currently Muhammad Mokber. His appointment must be confirmed by the Supreme Leader, whose word is final in all Iranian state affairs.

The council, which consists of the president of the parliament, the head of the judiciary and the first vice president, must organize the election of a new president within 50 days, reports Reuters.

Raisi was elected president in 2021 and according to the regular schedule, the next presidential election would take place in 2025. Now, based on the Iranian Constitution, they can be expected in early July

The IRNA news agency announced that the exact location of the accident had been identified. As they stated yesterday, a search was underway near the Varzakan area, which belongs to the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan, but the action was hampered by darkness and bad weather conditions.

Israel denied involvement in the accident

Reuters reports that an unnamed Israeli official told this news agency that Israel was not involved in the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Israel rarely officially comments on its activities outside the country's borders, which in recent months have included attacks on Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

In April, Iran launched a drone attack on Israel, which was approved by Raisi. Iran said it was revenge for the April 1 bombing of an Iranian diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital Damascus that killed a senior member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and eight other officers.

Fog hampered the search for 20 teams

Reuters previously reported that state television announced that the helicopter had been found, but that the Iranian Red Crescent denied those allegations.

An Iranian official, whose statement was broadcast yesterday afternoon, said that the lives of Raisi and Amirabdolahian were in danger. "We are still hopeful, but the information from the scene is very worrying," said the official, who wished to remain anonymous.

IRNA, however, announced last night that Deputy President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansuri said that the two passengers communicated with the rescuers, which means that the accident was probably not serious. Another promising point, it added, is that the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies has identified the location of the incident within a radius of two kilometers.

Reuters also reported that an Iranian official told state television that they had made contact on several occasions with one of the passengers and one of the crew members of the helicopter carrying Raisi.

The army joined the search.

"It's dark and it's started raining, but the search is continuing. Rescue teams have reached the area... but the rain has created mud, making the search difficult," a local reporter told state television earlier today.

Iran's state television reported yesterday that weather conditions were the cause of the helicopter crash, but that it could not be confirmed whether anyone was killed, Reuters reported.

IRNA announced that Raisi was flying in an American-made Bell 212 helicopter.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said yesterday that the people should not worry or be alarmed. "There will be no upheaval in Iran's state affairs," Khamenei said, according to Reuters.

Iran's state television initially reported that initial reports indicated the helicopter had a rough landing. The state news agency IRNA reported that in addition to Raisi and the minister, there were also local officials in the helicopter.

Iran's interior minister confirmed earlier yesterday that one of the three helicopters in the convoy carrying Raisi had a rough landing. He also stated that bad weather made it difficult for the rescue teams to reach the scene.

A video from the area where the incident took place was also published.

More than twenty fully equipped search and rescue teams, including drones and sniffer dogs, were dispatched to the area where the incident occurred. Iran's armed forces have also deployed commando units and special forces to assist in the search, IRNA reports.

Due to the uneven terrain in the region and difficult weather conditions, especially dense fog in the area, the search and rescue operation could take some time, the reporter of that news agency said.

State television released footage of worshipers praying for Raisi's health after reports of the incident.

Raisi was at the border with Azerbaijan to inaugurate the Kiz-Kalasi dam, a joint project. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who met with Raisi at the event, offered to help with the rescue, Reuters reported.

Neighboring countries expressed concern and offered to help in the rescue operation. The White House said US President Joe Biden had been briefed on the reports of the crash.

At the request of the Iranian authorities, the European Union activated the satellite mapping service, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said.

The Copernicus Emergency Management Service provides mapping services based on satellite imagery.

"I want to convey my best wishes to our neighbor, friend and brotherly Iranian people and government, and I hope to receive good news from Mr. Raisi and his delegation soon," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced on the X platform.

Turkey is sending search and rescue equipment to help find Iran's president and foreign minister, the Guardian reports.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also issued statements offering aid to Iran.

"Russia is ready to provide all necessary assistance in the search for the missing helicopter and the investigation into the reasons for the incident," wrote the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova on Telegram.

The Iraqi government said in a statement that it had instructed its interior ministry, the Red Crescent and other relevant authorities to offer assistance to Iran in the search mission.

The United Nations said that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "is following with concern the reports of the incident involving the plane of Iranian President Raisi. He hopes that the President and his entourage are safe."

According to Article 131 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic, in the event of the death of the president, the first vice president takes over, with the confirmation of the supreme leader. The council, which consists of the first vice president, the president of the parliament and the head of the judiciary, must organize elections for a new president within a period of no longer than 50 days.

According to the current schedule, the presidential elections are planned for 2025.

The accident occurred at a time of growing discontent in Iran due to a series of political, social and economic crises, writes Reuters. Iran's clerical rulers face international pressure over Tehran's disputed nuclear program and deepening military ties with Russia during the war in Ukraine.

Who is Mohamad Mokber, who is expected to become the interim president of Iran?

Iran's Vice President Mohamad Mokber will most likely become the country's interim president to help organize presidential elections that should be held within 50 days of the president's death.

Born on September 1, 1955, Mokber, like Raisi, is considered close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mokber became the first vice president in 2021 when Raisi was elected president. Mokber was part of a team of Iranian officials who visited Moscow in October and agreed to supply the Russian military with surface-to-surface missiles and multiple drones, sources told Reuters at the time.

Mokber was previously head of Setad, an investment fund linked to the Supreme Leader. In 2010, the European Union included Mokber on a list of individuals and entities it sanctioned for alleged involvement in "nuclear or ballistic missile activities." Two years later, she took him off the list.

In 2013, the US Treasury Department added Setad and 37 companies it supervised to the list of sanctioned entities, the Guardian writes. Setad was established by order issued by the founder of the Islamic Republic, Khamenei's predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He ordered aides to sell and manage properties allegedly abandoned in the chaotic years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, channeling most of the proceeds to charity.