TEHRAN: Iranians gathered on Tuesday to mourn at the funerary procession of president Ebrahim Raisi in the northwestern city of Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province where he died unexpectedly in a helicopter crash.
The helicopter lost communication while it was on its way back to Tabriz after Raisi attended a joint inauguration of a dam with his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, on their common border.
A massive search and rescue operation started Sunday afternoon when two other helicopters in Raisi’s convoy lost contact with his aircraft amid harsh weather conditions in the mountainous region.
Death of Raisi could stir race for Khamenei succession?
State TV early Monday broke the news of his death, saying “the servant of the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, has achieved the highest level of martyrdom”, showing pictures of him as a voice recited the Koran.
Killed alongside the Iranian president were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, members of the provincial authorities of East Azerbaijan and his security team.
Iran’s military chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri on Monday ordered a probe into the cause of the crash.
Following the confirmation of Raisi’s death, international condolences poured in while people in cities across the Islamic republic gathered to mourn the late president and his companions.
Thousands of mourners holding portraits of Raisi gathered Monday at central Valiasr Square in the capital Tehran.
National mourning
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate authority in Iran, declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, to assume interim duties ahead of elections.
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