Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, was killed Sunday, May 19 when his helicopter crashed in foggy weather. The Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, was also onboard and was also killed. From within Iran there are mixed reports suggesting some elements are seeking to use the President’ death to push to overthrow the government while crackdowns are also taking place to avoid such outcomes. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attempted to assure the nation everything was fine.
What comes next is a power struggle within as factions vie to fill the power vacuum. It could very well end up that Khamenei comes out on top, now free to execute some of his more draconian plans he’s been held in check by the now deceased President.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has been confirmed interim head of the country’s executive branch following Raisi’s sudden deathCredit: AP
Kremlin propagandists have rushed to blame the West for Sunday’s helicopter crash which killed President Raisi, 63, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, 60.
Their bodies and that of several other officials were discovered today among the wreckage of a US-made Bell 212 helicopter, following a gruelling overnight search in blizzard conditions.
Supreme Leader Khamenei has scrambled to assure Iran will carry on as normal and confirmed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as interim head of the country’s executive branch.
Mokhbar was part of a team of Iranian officials who visited Moscow in October and agreed to supply surface-to-surface missiles and more drones to Russia‘s military, sources told Reuters last year.
Khamenei said on Monday: “I announce five days of public mourning and express my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” adding that Mokhbar had up to 50 days to organise a new presidential election.
Mr Abedini told The Sun: “To stay in power, Khamenei will absolutely increase atrocities and execution of its own people to contain the dissent inside the country.
“It will also intensify its terrorist activities in the Middle East through IRGC, Hezbollah and the Houthis.”
He added that Khamenei will adopt a “very aggressive policy” to try and keep his dictatorship in power.
… Dr Hamidreza Azizi assessed the impact of Raisi’s death on the running of Iran, noting his first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, would take over until elections can be held over the summer.
And he warned his connections with top members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will likely result in an intensification of their involvement in the government – leading to a “struggle” with administrative staff.
Writing on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, Dr Azizi said: “Under Article 131 of #Iran’s Constitution, First VP Mohammad Mokhber will temporarily assume Raisi’s duties with the Supreme Leader’s approval. A council must organize a new presidential election within 50 days.
“Mokhber’s ties to the IRGC’s core leadership will guarantee that the IRGC’s role in #Iran’s administration will remain intact and even intensify. His interim presidency may pave the way for even more overt IRGC control over administrative policies.
“Raisi’s death intensifies internal power struggles. Already, factions within the hardline camp were competing for the Speaker of Parliament role. Now, this rivalry will extend to the presidency, with different factions vying for dominance.”
Reactions are starting to trickle in as world leaders learn of Raisi’s death…
Nine people were on board the helicopter that crashed, leaving no survivors, Tasnim News Agency, a government-affiliated outlet, reported.
It listed the decedents on board with Raisi. They included Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian; Ayatollah Al Hashem, representative of the supreme leader for parts of Azerbaijan; Eastern Azerbaijan Gov. Malek Rahmati; Cmdr. Seyed Mahdi Mousavi, the head of the president’s security unit; and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member Ansarol Mahdi.
The helicopter’s pilot and co-pilot and a technical assistant also on board were not identified.
The aircraft was returning from a trip to the inauguration of an Iranian dam on the border with Azerbaijan.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said fog and bad weather in the area slowed rescuers’ response. The cause of the crash was unclear, but U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said intelligence officials informed him that there is “no evidence of foul play.”
Much of the world was caught by surprise when Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran and anticipated successor to the country’s Supreme Leader, was killed in a helicopter crash along with the country’s Foreign Minister over the weekend.
Iran’s role on the world stage had become increasingly complex under Raisi’s leadership, as the regime navigated long simmering tensions with Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the U.S. along with internal discontent as mass protests erupted against the country’s theocratic regime.
Here’s a look at how leaders from other nations are reacting to the news of Raisi’s mysterious death.
China
China’s leader Xi Jinping expressed “deep condolences” to the Iranian government and people, according to a Chinese government press release. “Raisi’s tragic death is a great loss to the Iranian people, and the Chinese people also lost a good friend,” Xi stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Raisi “a true friend to Russia” in a statement on the Kremlin’s website and has made a phone call to Mohammad Mokhber, the new acting president of Iran.
“Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi was an outstanding politician whose entire life was devoted to serving his Motherland. He enjoyed the well-deserved respect of his compatriots and high prestige beyond his country. As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good neighborly relations between our countries and made great efforts to advance them to the level of strategic partnership,” Putin said in the statement.
“I have had the privilege of meeting Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi on multiple occasions, and I will always cherish the fond memories of this wonderful man. Please convey my heartfelt condolences and support to the family and friends of the late President, as well as to all those affected by this tragic incident. I extend my wishes for strength to the Iranian people as they navigate through this challenging and irreparable loss,” wrote Putin.
India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a statement on X offering condolences to Raisi’s family and the Iranian people. “Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr. Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His contribution to strengthening India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow,” he wrote.
In response to Raisi’s death, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared a day of mourning. “Pakistan will observe a day of mourning and the flag will fly at half mast as a mark of respect for President Raisi and his companions and in solidarity with Brotherly Iran,” Shehbaz posted on X.
Tensions between Iran and Pakistan spiked in January of this year when Pakistan conducted military strikes inside Iranian territory in an attempt to target Balochistan militants. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored within a day.
European Union
The European Union posted an official statement on its website. “The European Union offers its condolences for the death of President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian and other Iranian officials involved in the tragic helicopter crash on Sunday,” the statement reads. “The EU expresses its sympathies to the families of all the victims and to the Iranian citizens affected.”
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has had a tense relationship with Iran in recent years, and the two are engaged in multiple proxy conflicts in the region. In 2023, China brokered an agreement with the two countries that led them to restore diplomatic relations for the first time in seven years. Relations between the two powers remain frosty, but Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his condolences in a phone call with Mokhber, according to Saudi media.
“We extend to you and to the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran our deepest sympathy asking Allah almighty to bestow the deceased with his mercy and forgiveness,” Salman reportedly told Iran’s new acting president.
Rescuers on Monday found the helicopter that was carrying the Iranian president, as well as the country’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other senior officials, after it crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran.
Minutes after the Red Crescent Society announced its team had reached the site of the crash, state TV reported that there were “no signs of life” and an official said the helicopter had been “completely burned”.
The state-run Mehr news agency then announced that the president and foreign minister had been “martyred”.
Earlier officials said the aircraft appeared to have undergone a “rough landing” near Jolfa, the Iranian city on the border of Azerbaijani exclave Nakhchivan, around 600km northwest of the Iranian capital Tehran.
Turkish authorities said drone footage showed a fire some 20km south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border on the side of a steep mountain.
State TV said earlier on Monday that there was “no sign of life” at the crash site of the helicopter that was carrying 63-year-old Raisi, 60-year-old Abdollahian and other officials after it made a “hard landing” on Sunday.
The crash site was across a steep valley, according to state media, which gave no immediate cause for the crash.
As the sun rose on Monday, rescuers saw the helicopter from a distance of roughly 1.25 miles, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Pir Hossein Kolivand told state media. The officials had been missing for more than 12 hours when the helicopter was observed.
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