Iran on Monday declared a five-day period of mourning for the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdolahian and others in a helicopter crash, while June 28 was quickly set for an election to determine Raisi's successor.
Iranian authorities also announced that Raisi's funeral will be held in Tehran on May 22.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of mourning after the bodies of Raisi and Amir-Abdolahian were found at the helicopter crash site in northwestern Iran.
Iranian state television said the helicopter crashed due to bad weather conditions.
Khamenei also appointed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as interim president. Iranian law stipulates that if the president dies, power passes to the first vice president.
The Council consisting 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.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Bakeri Khani has been appointed Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Iranian state media reported.
Iran's state news agency IRNA said the governor of East Azerbaijan province and other unnamed officials and bodyguards were in the helicopter that crashed.
In a message released on Monday morning, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed deep sadness over the death of Raisi in an accident that occurred a day earlier in Iran's East Azerbaijan province.
"In this bitter tragedy, the Iranian nation has lost a warm-hearted, humble and respected servant," Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that President Raisi never stopped his hard and round-the-clock work for the people of Iran despite facing criticism from ill-wishers.
Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed grief over the deaths of other senior officials who were with Raisi in the helicopter in East Azerbaijan, including Foreign Minister Amir-Abdolahian, as well as the chief imam of Tabriz and the governor of the province.
On May 20, foreign governments expressed their condolences and solidarity.
Lebanon declared three days of mourning in honor of Raisi. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian were both "true, reliable friends of our country."
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, expressed its condolences and thanked Raisi for his "tireless efforts in solidarity" with the Palestinian people.
European Council President Charles Michel issued a statement of "sincere condolences," adding that "our thoughts go out to the families."
Raisi and his companions were found dead at the helicopter crash site in northwestern Iran.
Search and rescue teams, assisted by several foreign governments, searched for the helicopter after it went down in bad weather in a mountainous area of the country late Sunday.
Raisi's helicopter was en route to the city of Tabriz when it crashed near the town of Jolf in what state television said was a "hard landing," but several news reports cited government sources as saying the helicopter crashed while crossing a mountain and forested area. area.
The Iranian government said the helicopter was one of three flying in the convoy, and that the other two reportedly landed safely in Tabriz.
The ultra-conservative Raisi and Amir-Abdolahian were in Azerbaijan earlier on Sunday to open the dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who said on Twitter that Azerbaijan was "deeply disturbed" by news that Raisi's helicopter had crashed.
Raisi was elected president in 2021 and has since tightened many restrictions on Iranians by enforcing morality laws and a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly violating a strict dress code.
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