In a shocking development, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has been killed in a helicopter crash, according to state media reports from Tehran. Raisi, 62, was on an official visit to the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan when the tragic incident occurred earlier today.
The presidential helicopter went down near the city of Zahedan after reportedly suffering a mechanical failure. Eyewitness videos from the ground show the aircraft spinning out of control before slamming into a mountainous area and erupting into flames. There were no initial signs of foul play.
All 14 people on board, including Raisi, his bodyguards, crew members and a delegation of high-ranking officials, are believed to have perished in the fiery crash. No survivors have been found so far, as rescue teams battle harsh terrain to reach the remote crash site.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared a week of national mourning and called an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council. In a statement, he praised Raisi as a “defender of the revolution” and “selfless servant of the nation.”
Raisi, a hardline cleric and conservative, had been in office just over 2 years after winning the 2021 presidential election in a controversial vote disputed by the opposition. His tenure was defined by a hardline approach toward the West, continued development of Iran’s nuclear program, and a brutal crackdown on widespread anti-government protests.
The loss of the president has thrown Iran into uncharted waters and sparked immediate uncertainty about the line of succession. Under Iran’s constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days. Potential candidates include Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and former parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
However, any transition period could be volatile amid escalating tensions with the United States over Iran’s nuclear activities and its support for regional proxy groups like Hezbollah. There are also concerns hardliners could tighten their grip on power or that infighting among factions could erupt.
The deadly crash is just the latest aviation tragedy to strike the Islamic Republic. In 2020, a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down by the Revolutionary Guards shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. Past crashes of civilian and military aircraft have also been blamed on aging fleets, sanctions limiting access to spare parts, and human error.
Reaction poured in from around the world, with condolences coming from allies like Russia and Syria, but also strident warnings from the West about avoiding instability during the transition. In Washington, the White House said it would be closely monitoring developments in Iran.
