The president of Iran, Ebrahim raisi, died in a plane crash together with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other high officials. L'helicopter on which they were traveling is precipitate in East Azerbaijan province, probably due to bad weather. The wreckage of the aircraft was found burnt, with no survivors, thanks to the help of a Turkish drone. Iranian state TV confirmed the news, calling Raisi "martyr of service” and announcing that details on the funeral ceremony will be announced shortly.
The rescue teams worked throughout the night, braving a snowstorm, to reach the accident site, located in a mountainous and inaccessible region. On board the helicopter, in addition to the president and the Foreign Minister, were the governor of the East Azerbaijan province, Malek Rahmati, and the imam of the city of Tabriz, Mohammad Ali Ale Hashem. The bodyguards of the president, General Mehdi Mousavi, and the helicopter crew were also among the victims.
What happened
The accident occurred about 100 kilometers from Tabriz, near the Iranian village di Khoilar-Kalam, in a remote mountainous area on the border with Azerbaijan where President Raisi had inaugurated a dam together with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev. The presidential convoy consisted of three helicopters: two arrived safely at their destination, while Raisi's helicopter crashed. The first reports from the Iranian media spoke of an accident without specifying whether the president's helicopter was involved, followed by chaotic and contradictory updates.
Initially, the Iranian Mehr agency spoke of Raisi being safe, even leaving by car; news later deleted by the news agency. The confirmation of the crash came with the words of the Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi who spoke of the accident which occurred due to bad weather conditions. Research is also difficult of the wreck with the fog which hampered rescue efforts in the area. The Iranian Red Crescent sent 73 rescue teams, supported by detection dogs, to search for survivors. The European Union has activated the Copernicus satellite mapping service to help with the search. Help also arrived from Russia, which sent two planes, a helicopter and 50 men. The position of the helicopter was then identified thanks to a Turkish drone which detected a heat source. “When the location of the crashed helicopter was discovered, no trace of alive passengers was found,” confirmed the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Pir Hossein Koolivand.
Who was Ebrahim Raisi
Ebrahim Raisi, 63, had been elected president of the Islamic Republic in 2021. Known for his ultra-conservative line, Raisi had won the elections with one of the lowest voter turnouts ever, after most of the reformist candidates had been excluded. During his presidency, Raisi had tightened morality laws and harshly repressed anti-government protests.
Born in the city of Mashhad, one of the holiest places in Shiite Islam, Raisi had lost his father at just five years old and had attended various Islamic seminaries before becoming a public prosecutor. Married to Jamileh Alamolhoda, daughter of an ultra-conservative cleric, he had two daughters. Before becoming president, Raisi had held several important positions in the Iranian judicial system.
His presidency had focused on strengthening ties with China and Russia, abandoning efforts to improve trade relations with the West. This approach marked a clear break from the era of his predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, who sought to build better relations with the United States and Europe.
Raisi was known for his tough opposition to the United States but above all to Israel which culminated in the first Iranian attack on enemy territory during the war in Gaza. His death could open a phase of instability in Iran, influencing the already fragile balance of the Middle East, despite the reassurances of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the stability of the system. Meanwhile, unofficial Israeli sources have declared that they have no responsibility for the accident and that bad weather is to blame.
What happens now?
With Raisi's death, Iran's dual political system, divided between the clerical establishment and the government, faces a moment of uncertainty. Khamenei, supreme leader since 1989, who holds the final say on the main Iranian policies, has already tried yesterday to reassure the population stating that there will be no disruption in state affairs. Khamenei. Raisi's death paves the way for Khamenei's son, mojtaba, as a possible successor.
Under Iranian law, Raisi's duties now pass to the vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68 years old, who will remain in office until new elections within 50 days. Mokhber, a conservative close to Khamenei, was appointed by Raisi in 2021. The vice presidency in Iran is an appointed position and Mokhber took over some of the prime ministerial powers after the post was abolished in 1989. Before his appointment, Mokhber led for The Iranian Setad, a powerful economic conglomerate, is 14 years old.
