On Monday, Iranian media outlets declared Raisi dead after his helicopter crashed in the country’s mountainous northwest, a region that sits along its border with Azerbaijan. No official confirmation has yet yet, but a state-affiliated news agency said nine people were on board. They included Raisi, 63, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Supreme Leader’s Office Ayatollah Al Hashem, Eastern Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member Ansarol Mahdi, and two pilots. The cause of the crash is unclear, though the weather has been poor recently.
According to the local Mehr news agency, Raisi was flying to Tabriz after a visit to the border area of Varzeqan when the helicopter lost contact. Its last signal was recorded at 3:45 p.m. Sunday, and rescue teams were searching for the aircraft in heavy fog and blizzard conditions that have hampered efforts since then.
The presidential spokesman later told NBC that there were no crash survivors. Iran’s Red Crescent chief, Pir Hossein Kolivand, also indicated that no one had been able to communicate with people inside the wrecked helicopter. Kolivand said, “It is a huge tragedy, but the situation was not as dramatic as we initially thought.”
Iranians have been reacting to the news of Raisi’s death with sadness and concern. Messages of condolences streamed into the country from its regional neighbors and allies, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. Condolences also came from several countries outside the Middle East, including India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on the country’s X platform that he was “deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise” of Raisi.
Raisi was a hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary and was widely seen as a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, 85. His loyalty to the regime fired speculation that he could one day replace Khamenei, who still retains ultimate power in Iran.
He became president in 2021, has pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers, and has enforced strict morality laws since then. Despite the crackdown on protests, which left many dead, the president has maintained high approval ratings.
His popularity has led to speculation about his potential successor, with Mojtaba Khamenei, the 55-year-old son of the supreme leader and former President Hassan Rouhani, tossed around as a possible candidate. Raisi’s devotion to the regime and its brutal tactics had also fueled speculation that he was a contender to become supreme leader himself, but that is unlikely now. Unless the situation changes dramatically, the next leader will likely be Vice President Mohmmad Mokhber, a close ally of Khamenei. The country’s constitution says that the vice president should take over the presidency in case of the president’s death or illness. Presidential elections will follow that. In the meantime, the president’s top aide, Iran’s national security adviser, will be acting president.
