Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a prominent hardliner often considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, met a tragic end in a helicopter accident near the Azerbaijan border, as confirmed by officials and state media on Monday.
The wreckage of the helicopter, carrying Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, was discovered amidst challenging mountainous terrain on Monday following an intensive search overnight amid harsh blizzard conditions.
A senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, disclosed to Reuters that President Raisi, the foreign minister, and all others aboard the helicopter perished in the accident.
Subsequently, Vice President Mohsen Mansouri affirmed Raisi’s demise via a social media post, which was later echoed by state television.
While state TV aired images depicting the helicopter’s collision with a mountain peak, an official determination regarding the crash’s cause is yet to be announced.
According to the state news agency IRNA, Raisi was traveling in a Bell 212 helicopter of US origin at the time of the incident.
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