Iranian President and Foreign Minister Die in Helicopter Crash Amid Middle East Tensions
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s foreign minister were found dead Monday after their helicopter crashed in foggy conditions, plunging the Islamic Republic into further turmoil amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
The crash, which occurred in mountainous terrain shrouded in sudden, intense fog, has left Iran without two of its key leaders at a critical time. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei swiftly appointed a little-known vice president as caretaker, insisting the government remained in control despite the tragic loss.
Iran has yet to provide an official cause for the crash and has not suggested sabotage as a factor. In the capital, Tehran, daily life continued with businesses open and children attending school. However, the city saw an increased presence of uniformed and plainclothes security forces.
Later in the day, hundreds of mourners gathered in downtown Vali-e-Asr Square, holding posters of Raisi and waving Palestinian flags. The crowd included men clutching prayer beads and visibly crying, while women in black chadors held photos of the deceased leaders.
“We were shocked that we lost such a character, a character that made Iran proud, and humiliated the enemies,” said Mohammad Beheshti, 36.
The incident occurs as the Israel-Hamas war continues to escalate, with Iran-backed Hamas initiating the conflict and Hezbollah, another Tehran-supported group, launching rockets at Israel. Just last month, Iran conducted an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel.
Raisi, 63, a hard-liner and former head of Iran’s judiciary, was seen as a protégé of Khamenei. His tenure was marked by worsening relations with the West, as Iran enriched uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
