On 19 May 2024, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and several other officials were in a helicopter crash in the mountainous area close to the borders with Azerbaijan, and eight passengers and crew members were killed.
The helicopter was taking the president to the city of Tabriz to launch an oil refinery after he launched a hydropower dam project in East Azerbaijan. The pilot had to land the helicopter hard due to bad weather conditions, including fog.
A tragic accident happened when Raisi’s delegation was flying in three helicopters. The other two helicopters made a successful landing, while the helicopter that had the president and his staff members, including the Iranian foreign minister, Mr Hossein Amirabdollahian, on board, fell down in the mountains.
Bitterly, the effort to rescue the trapped workers began that same night. However, the tough terrain and unfavorable climate made the search operation arduous. Despite this, the health of the individuals involved was worst off, with the eight passengers on board the helicopter being reported dead upon being retrieved from the crash scene.
While President Raisi was considered by many as Khamenei’s likely heir at 85, the man was laid to rest in Mashhad last Thursday, with many citizens coming out to pay last respect in hundreds and thousands.
The horrific event has left the Iranian nation in a state of surprise and disbelief, and now the world is gearing up for an election scheduled in June to elect a new president. At the same time, in the same year, the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, became the interim president.
This has brought hard times to the Iranian government and the entire country as they bereaved the sudden death of their paramount leaders through the disastrous helicopter crash.
