Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian dead in helicopter crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, 63, was declared dead following a helicopter crash over the weekend, a senior Iranian official confirmed early Monday. Along with Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was also killed.

Following Raisi's death, Iranian vice-president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, Iran's became the interim president.

"President Raisi's helicopter was completely burned in the crash ... unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead," the official told Reuters.

Rescue teams braved blizzards and challenging landscapes overnight to access the crash site in East Azerbaijan province early Monday morning.

“We can see the wreckage and the situation does not look good,” the head of Iran’s Red Crescent, Pirhossein Kolivand, told state TV. “With the discovery of the crash site, no signs of life have been detected among the helicopter's passengers.”

According to Iranian state media, visuals from the scene indicated that the helicopter collided with a mountain summit, though an official explanation for the crash has not been provided yet.

Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border on Sunday to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who said he had bid a "friendly farewell" to Raisi earlier in the day, offered assistance in the rescue.

Legacy of Ebrahim Raisi

At 63 years old, Raisi assumed the presidency in 2021. During his tenure, he has implemented stricter moral regulations, directed a violent suppression of dissenting demonstrations, and vigorously pursued negotiations concerning nuclear matters with global powers.

In 2018, former U.S. president Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement Tehran had negotiated with six nations, reinstating severe U.S. sanctions on Iran. This led Tehran to gradually breach the nuclear deal's limits. Efforts to revive the deal through indirect discussions between Tehran and President Joe Biden's administration have halted.

Raisi's firm stance extended to domestic policies as well. Within a year of his presidency, the moderately ranked cleric mandated stricter enforcement of Iran's "hijab and chastity law," which regulates women's attire and conduct.

Within weeks, a young Kurdish Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, died in custody after being arrested by morality police for allegedly violating that law.

The resulting months of nationwide protests presented one of the gravest challenges to Iran's clerical rulers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Shortly thereafter, Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish Iranian woman, passed away while in custody after being detained by morality police for purportedly infringing upon that regulation.

The ensuing months witnessed widespread protests across the nation, posing one of the most significant challenges to Iran's clerical leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Despite his lack of political experience, Raisi received unwavering support for his nuclear policies and security measures from his mentor, the vehemently anti-Western Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

(With agency inputs)