TEHRAN: Iranian authorities announced on Monday that the funeral procession for President Ebrahim Raisi would be held in Tehran on Wednesday, following his tragic death in a helicopter crash, AFP reported.
“On Wednesday morning, we will have the funeral procession in the city of Tehran” for Raisi and other members of his entourage killed in the crash, Mohsen Mansouri, vice president for executive affairs told state television.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday announced five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi. “I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the helicopter crash.
In accordance with constitutional protocol, Ayatollah Khamenei has appointed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as the acting president. Mokhber will oversee the government’s operations until elections are held within the next 50 days, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.
The incident occurred late Sunday night, claiming the lives of President Raisi, the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and several other officials. The helicopter also carried the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
The crash site, nestled in a foggy, mountainous region, was discovered after an exhaustive search effort. The loss of Raisi, a prominent figure in Iranian politics at the age of 63, has left the nation reeling.
The Iranian cabinet has appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani as the acting foreign minister, ensuring continuity in diplomatic affairs during this challenging period.
Iran’s government reassured the public that continuity and stability will be maintained. First Vice President Mokhber has already begun assuming presidential duties, receiving calls from officials and foreign dignitaries.
President Raisi’s untimely demise marks a significant moment in Iranian history, reminiscent of the tragic loss of President Mohammad Ali Rajai in 1981.
Early Monday morning, Turkish authorities released what they described as drone footage showing what appeared to be a fire in the wilderness that they “suspected to be the wreckage of the helicopter.” The coordinates listed in the footage put the fire some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border on the side of a steep mountain.
Footage released by the IRNA early Monday showed what the agency described as the crash site, across a steep valley in a green mountain range. Soldiers speaking in the local Azeri language said: “There it is, we found it.”
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