Iran’s President Raisi dies in helicopter crash

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead after a helicopter carrying him and other officials crashed in a mountainous and forested area of the country in poor weather, Al Jazeera reports.

Early Monday, relief workers located the missing helicopter, with state TV saying the president had died.

"The servant of Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi has achieved the highest level of martyrdom whilst serving the people," state television said Monday, with Mehr news agency also saying he was dead.

State television broadcast photos of Raisi, with the voice of a man reciting the Holy Quran playing in the background.

Iran's vice president for executive affairs Mohsen Mansouri posted on X a Quranic verse used to express condolences.

Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will assume powers after Raisi’s death. According to the Iranian Constitution, in case of the president’s death or incapacity, the first vice president will take over until an election is held within a maximum period of 50 days.

Also killed in the crash was Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, an experienced diplomat who helped secure the recent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Tributes and condolences are pouring in from regional and international leaders. Several countries in the Middle East have expressed support to Iran and offered help to locate the helicopter, which was missing for hours after the crash.

The search was hampered by severe fogging and rain near the crash site, in the Dizmar forest, nestled between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azerbaijan Province.

Paul Beaver, an aviation expert and former helicopter pilot, said the cloud cover, fog, mist and low temperature must have contributed to the crash of the Iranian president’s aircraft.