Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have died in a helicopter crash, according to a report by the country’s Mehr news agency on Monday.
A tragic helicopter crash in the Varzeqan region north of Tabriz has claimed the lives of all passengers, including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and a senior imam from Tabriz, according to state media. The U.S.-made Bell 212 helicopter reportedly slammed into a mountain peak, though the cause of the crash remains unknown.
An unnamed senior Iranian official confirmed the death of Raisi, 63, along with other passengers, noting the sensitive nature of the incident. Israeli officials denied any involvement in the crash.
The helicopter went down as Raisi was returning from an official visit to Iran’s northwest border with Azerbaijan. Raisi, elected in 2021, was known for enforcing strict morality laws, suppressing anti-government protests, and engaging in nuclear negotiations with world powers.
Messages of condolence poured in from regional leaders and international figures, including those from Syria, Egypt, India, Iraq, Pakistan, the European Union, Italy, and Russia. Iran-backed groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels also expressed their sympathy, while the exiled National Council of Resistance of Iran called Raisi’s death a “monumental and irreparable strategic blow” to the regime.
Rescue teams battled severe weather and challenging terrain to locate the wreckage. The head of Iran’s Red Crescent, Pirhossein Kolivand, reported that no signs of life were found at the crash site. National broadcasts were interrupted for prayers, and countries including the United States, China, and the European Union offered assistance.
Raisi, considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had consolidated power among hardliners during his presidency. He was visiting the Azerbaijani border to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project with Azerbaijan, whose President Ilham Aliyev expressed condolences and offered help in the rescue efforts.
