Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a staunch ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, has died in a helicopter crash.
**DUBAI, May 20 (Reuters)** - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed when his helicopter crashed in poor weather near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media reported on Monday.
The helicopter, which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and six other passengers and crew, was found early Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.
Supreme Leader Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over foreign policy and Iran's nuclear program, announced that First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber would serve as interim president, according to the official IRNA news agency.
"I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran," Khamenei said in a statement. Mokhber, like Raisi, is seen as close to Khamenei.
The crash occurs amid increasing dissent in Iran over various political, social, and economic crises. Iran's clerical leaders face international pressure regarding Tehran's disputed nuclear program and its growing military ties with Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
Since Iran's ally Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, provoking Israel's assault on Gaza, conflicts involving Iran-aligned groups have flared throughout the Middle East. A long-standing "shadow war" between Iran and Israel escalated last month with exchanges of drone and missile fire.
An Israeli official, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that Israel was not involved in the crash. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated he had no insight into the crash's cause and confirmed that the United States had no role in it.
According to the Islamic Republic's constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 50 days. Candidates must first be approved by the Guardian Council, a hardline body that often disqualifies even prominent conservative and moderate officials, suggesting that Iranian policy is unlikely to change significantly.
"As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said as the U.S. expressed its "official condolences."
'ONE HARDLINER DIES, ANOTHER TAKES OVER'
Government loyalists packed into mosques and squares to pray for Raisi, but most shops remained open, and the authorities made little effort to disrupt ordinary life.
"He was a hardworking president. His legacy will endure as long as we are alive," said Mohammad Hossein Zarrabi, 28, a member of the volunteer Basij religious militia in the holy Shi'ite city of Qom.
However, many other Iranians showed little sorrow.
"Who cares? One hardliner dies, another takes over, and our misery continues," said Reza, 47, a shopkeeper in the central desert city of Yazd who withheld his full name, fearing reprisals. "We're too busy with economic and social issues to worry about such news."
State media reported that images from the site showed the U.S.-made Bell 212 helicopter had slammed into a mountain peak, though the cause of the crash remains unconfirmed. The fatalities included the governor of East Azerbaijan Province and a senior imam from Tabriz city.
Iran had been a significant purchaser of Bell helicopters under the U.S.-backed Shah before the 1979 Islamic revolution. However, decades of sanctions have made it difficult for Iran to obtain parts or upgrade its aircraft, leaving the exact origin of the crashed helicopter unclear.
The helicopter went down in the Varzeqan region north of Tabriz as Raisi was returning from an official visit to the Azerbaijan border in northwest Iran, where he had inaugurated the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project.
**CRACKDOWN AND LEGACY**
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In Iran's dual political system, divided between the clerical establishment and the government, it is Raisi's 85-year-old mentor, Supreme Leader Khamenei, who has held ultimate decision-making power since 1989.
Although not a certainty in Iran's opaque political landscape, Raisi, a mid-ranking Shi'ite cleric, had been widely considered a leading candidate to succeed Khamenei.
"There’s no other candidate right now with that kind of a platform, and that’s why the presidential elections in Iran, however they unfold, will be the first decider about what comes next," said Vali Nasr, professor of Middle East Studies and International Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has been appointed acting foreign minister, IRNA reported. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister called Kani to express condolences and reiterated Saudi support for Iran.
Funeral ceremonies for Raisi will be held from Tuesday to Thursday in the cities of Tabriz, Qom, Tehran, and Birjand, culminating in his burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, according to Iranian media.
Condolences poured in from regional neighbors and allies, including leaders of Syria, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, and Pakistan. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Raisi "a true friend of Russia." The Kremlin reported that he spoke with Mokhber by phone, with both stressing their "mutual intention to further strengthen Russian-Iranian interaction."
Iran-backed militant group Hamas, currently fighting Israeli forces in Gaza with Tehran's support, issued a statement expressing sympathy to the Iranian people for "this immense loss."
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