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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi eliminated in helicopter crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner and potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday.

The charred wreckage of the helicopter which crashed on Sunday bring Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other travelers and crew was discovered early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.

President Raisi, the foreign minister and all the guests in the helicopter were killed in the crash, a senior Iranian authorities informed , asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Raisi's death was later verified in a declaration on social media by Vice President Mohsen Mansouri and on state television. First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is anticipated to take over as president.

State media reported that images from the site showed the U.S.-made Bell 212 helicopter slammed into a mountain peak, although there was no official word on the cause of the crash. The dead likewise included the governor of East Azerbaijan Province and a senior imam from Tabriz city.

The helicopter went down in Varzeqan region north of Tabriz, state news firm IRNA reported, as Raisi returned from an main visit to the border with Azerbaijan in Iran's. northwest.

Raisi, 63, was chosen president in 2021, and because taking. workplace has purchased a tightening of morality laws, overseen a. bloody crackdown on anti-government demonstrations and pushed hard in. nuclear talks with world powers.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds. supreme power with a last word on foreign policy and Iran's. nuclear programme, had earlier sought to reassure Iranians,. saying there would be no disruption to state affairs.

Messages of condolences originated from Iran's local neighbours. including the leaders of India, Iraq and Pakistan, as well as. the European Union and Russia.

Iran-backed militant group Hamas, combating Israeli forces in. Gaza with Tehran's support, issued a declaration expressing. compassion to the Iranian individuals for this enormous loss.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and the Houthi rebels. in Yemen also released statements applauding Raisi and grieving his. death.

PRAYERS, SEARCHES

Rescue teams combated blizzards and difficult surface through. the night to reach the wreckage in the early hours of Monday.

With the discovery of the crash website, no indications of life have. been spotted among the helicopter's guests, the head of. Iran's Red Crescent, Pirhossein Kolivand, told state television.

Earlier, the nationwide broadcaster had actually stopped all regular. configuring to show prayers being held for Raisi throughout the. country.

Video revealed a rescue team, using bright coats and head. torches, gathered around a GPS gadget as they browsed a. pitch-black mountainside on foot in a blizzard.

Numerous countries had previously revealed concern and used. support.

The White Home stated U.S. President Joe Biden had actually been. informed on reports about the crash. China said it was deeply. concerned. The European Union provided emergency situation satellite. mapping innovation.

HARDLINER, POSSIBLE FOLLOWER TO KHAMENEI

The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran. over an array of political, social and recessions. Iran's. clerical rulers deal with global pressure over Tehran's. contested nuclear program and its deepening military ties with. Russia during the war in Ukraine.

Considering that Iran's ally Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, provoking. Israel's assault on Gaza, blazes involving Iran-aligned. groups have actually appeared throughout the Middle East.

In Iran's double political system, split between the clerical. facility and the federal government, it is Raisi's 85-year-old. mentor Khamenei, supreme leader given that 1989, who holds. decision-making power on all major policies.

For several years lots of have seen Raisi as a strong competitor to. succeed Khamenei, who has actually backed Raisi's main policies. Raisi's triumph in a carefully managed election in 2021 brought. all branches of power under the control of hardliners, after. eight years when the presidency had actually been held by pragmatist. Hassan Rouhani and a nuclear deal worked out with powers. including Washington.

However, Raisi's standing might have been dented by prevalent. demonstrations versus clerical guideline and a failure to reverse. Iran's economy, hamstrung by Western sanctions.

Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border on Sunday to. inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint job. Azerbaijan's. President Ilham Aliyev, who stated he had actually bid a friendly. goodbye to Raisi previously in the day, provided assistance in the. rescue.

(source: Reuters)