Iran's President Dies in a Helicopter Crash
Raisi is the second Iranian president to die in office.
Iran's eighth president, Ebrahim Raisi, along with the country's foreign minister and several others, perished in a helicopter crash in Iran's northwest, state media confirmed Monday, May 20th.[1]
Raisi's helicopter, along with two others, was on their way to Tabriz City on Sunday after inaugurating the Qiz Qalasi Dam near the Azerbaijan Republic's border earlier that day.
The crash occurred following an extensive search effort amidst challenging weather conditions in the mountainous terrain.
While the cause of the crash remains unknown, the loss of President Raisi, 63, and other high-ranking officials leaves a leadership vacuum in Tehran. Under Iran's constitution, Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is set to assume temporary leadership duties, pending a new presidential election within 50 days.
Raisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election.
Raisi is the second Iranian president to die in office. In 1981, a bomb blast killed President Mohammad Ali Rajai in the chaotic days after the revolution.