Iran's foreign minister and president perish in a helicopter accident during a period of elevated tensions in the Middle East.

United Arab Emirates' DUBAI (AP) — Following their helicopter crash in fog on Monday, the bodies of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister were discovered, depriving the Islamic Republic of two important figures at a time when unprecedented tensions are roiling the Middle East.

The Shiite theocracy's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, swiftly appointed a little-known vice president as caretaker and affirmed that the government was in charge, but the fatalities represent yet another setback for a nation under siege from both domestic and foreign sources.

apparent helicopter crash involving the foreign minister and president of Iran

The accident site appeared to be on a mountainside in northwest Iran, according to a Turkish drone.
The helicopter crashed in high terrain in a sudden, dense fog, but Iran has not claimed responsibility for the incident or implied that sabotage was the cause.

The capital of Iran, Tehran, saw Monday schoolchildren and open businesses. But security forces, both plainclothes and uniformed, were conspicuously present.

Hundreds more mourners poured into downtown Vali-e-Asr square later in the day, waving Palestinian flags and clutching posters of Raisi. A few males were crying clearly and clutching prayer beads. Ladies with black chadors stood in a group with pictures of the deceased leader.

The disaster occurs while the region is rocked by the Israel-Hamas conflict. The crisis was initiated by an attack spearheaded by Hamas, which is sponsored by Iran. Hezbollah, which is also backed by Tehran, has fired missiles onto Israel. Iran attacked Israel with its own historic drone and missile attack last month.

Raisi, 63, a hard-liner who once oversaw the nation's judiciary, was thought to be Khamenei's protégé. While he was in office, Iran's uranium enrichment programme brought it closer to weapons-grade levels and it gave Russia drones that might carry bombs for the war in Ukraine. These developments contributed to the worsening of Iran's ties with the West.

The situation is made much more delicate by the fact that his government has endured years of large-scale demonstrations for women's rights and the failing economy.
The state-run IRNA news agency said that all eight occupants of the Bell helicopter, which Iran had purchased in the early 2000s, perished in the crash. According to IRNA, the deceased included three crew members, a senior cleric from Tabriz, the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan region, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Since the time of the shah, Bell helicopters have been widely used in Iran. However, due in part to Western sanctions, aircraft in Iran frequently operate without proper safety inspections and confront a shortage of parts. In light of this, former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attempted to assign responsibility for the crash to the US in an interview on Monday.

The crash that happened in the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan was not immediately explained by state television. Early on Monday, IRNA broadcast footage that appeared to be the crash scene, which was located across a steep valley in a range of green mountains, according to the agency.
On Raisi's passing, the US has not yet made any official comments. Iran's nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani will take over as the nation's acting foreign minister, according to state television.

Soon after Iran confirmed there were no survivors, condolences flowed in from allies and neighbours. In a message on the social media site X, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that his nation “stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.” In a statement issued by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled Raisi as

Condolences were also extended by Syrian President Bashar Assad, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, expressed his and his government's "deep shock." Prior to the collision, Raisi had launched a dam with Aliyev near Iran's border with Azerbaijan. Raisi was returning from this location on Sunday.

Iranians were equally shocked by the tragedy, and Khamenei announced a five-day public mourning period. However, a lot of people have been demoralised by the country's rial currency collapse and concerns about regional conflicts escalating out of control, particularly with Israel or Pakistan, with which Iran traded gunfire this year.

Tehran resident Mahrooz Mohammadi Zadeh, 53, said, "I don't think he was as successful as he should have been, but he tried to carry out his duties well." "He was a little weak, but he did his job; I'm not saying he didn't."

Although Khamenei insisted that Iran's government will go on as usual, Raisi's passing aroused concerns about what would happen when the 85-year-old supreme leader passes away or resigns. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, only two persons have occupied this office, which has the final say on all things pertaining to the state.

It had been discussed that Raisi might be a candidate for the position. To now, Mojtaba, Khamenei's 55-year-old son, has been the only other person proposed. But some have expressed reservations about a family member holding such a position, especially in light of the revolution that toppled the Shah's hereditary Pahlavi monarchy.

According to the constitution, which states that a new presidential election must be held within 50 days, Khamenei has appointed first vice president Muhammad Mokhber as caretaker for the time being.

In Raisi's absence, Mokhber had already started to receive calls from authorities from foreign governments, according to state media.

The statement was broadcast by state media on Monday morning, and the Iranian Cabinet met in emergency session. After that, the Cabinet released a statement promising to follow Raisi's lead and stating that "there will be no problem with management of the country, with the help of God and the people."

Iran's 2021 presidential election saw the lowest voter turnout in the country's history, yet Raisi prevailed. The United States imposed sanctions on him partly due to his role in the mass killing of thousands of political detainees in 1988, following the conclusion of the deadly Iran-Iraq war.

Iran now obstructs foreign inspections and enriches uranium almost to weapons-grade levels under Raisi. Iran has armed Russia in the conflict with Ukraine and attacked Israel with a large-scale drone and missile assault as part of its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, it has persisted in arming proxies in the Middle East, like as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Years have passed while nationwide protests have been going strong. The most recent concerned Mahsa Amini's death in 2022; she had been imprisoned due to her supposed loose headscarf, or hijab. Following the protests, there was a months-long security crackdown that resulted in over 500 deaths and over 22,000 arrests.

A United Nations investigating panel concluded in March that Iran was in charge of the "physical
The second president of Iran to pass away in office was Raisi. President Muhammad Ali Rajai was assassinated by a bomb in 1981 during the tumultuous days following the Islamic Revolution in his nation.