Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi will be laid to rest in the holy city of Mashhad on Thursday, four days after he, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six others, perished in a helicopter crash. The coffin of Raisi, 63, was flown to Mashhad in northeast Iran after a funeral procession was held for him this morning in the eastern city of Birjand, where tens of thousands paid their respects as his remains were driven through the streets in a motorcade. Raisi was a hard-line cleric whose election as president in 2021 consolidated conservatives’ control over every aspect of the Islamic Republic. He had been a close ally of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader who retains decision-making powers in the dual system of government.
He had served on the panel that directed a series of mass executions during anti-regime protests in the 1980s and presided over a vicious crackdown against further protests last year. However, his supporters lauded his record of economic progress and praised the international prestige that he gained from hosting an international conference on countering terrorism. They also lauded his steadfast support for the Palestinian cause, a vital pillar of the Iranian regime’s foreign policy.
Raisi’s death has led to a wave of condolences from across the world, with the prime ministers of Iraq and Afghanistan among those sending their regards, state media reported. Iran’s neighboring countries have also sent their sympathies, as have many of its allies in the region, such as Syria and Hamas.
Iran will observe a national day of mourning on Wednesday in honor of Raisi and the other victims of the accident. Officials say that a large number of businesses and public services will be closed for the day to allow people to attend the funerals. Ayatollah Khamenei is to lead prayers at a ceremony in Tehran, while other burials are to be held in Tabriz and Qom, which are home to Shiite seminaries.
The ceremonies for Raisi, who was Iran’s first president born outside the capital, Tehran, will culminate in his burial at the shrine of Shiite Islam’s eighth imam, where his remains are believed to rest. It is the final destination of a pilgrimage route that is one of the world’s most important for Shiites.
Iran’s new Vice President, Mohammad Mokhber, has assumed interim duties for the time being, but elections to choose a replacement are due to be held in June. Iran’s new deputy chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, will likely take over those responsibilities. He is a protege of Khamenei and was part of the team that took over nuclear talks with world powers after a halt in talks in 2021. The United States and Russia have said they will only participate in the talks once a new Iranian president is in place.