
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has died at the age of 63 in a helicopter crash, Iranian news outlets have reported. The crash also claimed the lives of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and seven others.
Raisi's death comes at a tumultuous time in the Middle East, with ongoing conflict in Gaza. The helicopter crash occurred just weeks after Iran launched a drone-and-missile attack on Israel, a response to a deadly strike on its diplomatic compound in Damascus.
Raisi, a hardliner, became president in 2021 after a historically uncompetitive election. Before his presidency, he served as the chief justice and oversaw a period of intensified repression against dissent in Iran, which has been rocked by youth-led protests against clerical rule.
As the second-most powerful person in the Islamic Republic’s political hierarchy, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Raisi's death has significant implications. According to the Iranian Constitution, the first vice president will assume presidential duties with the Supreme Leader's approval.
Following the news of Raisi's death, Iranian state broadcasters have been airing Islamic prayers interspersed with their news reports. The government has convened an "urgent meeting" on Monday, as reported by the Iranian state news agency IRNA.
A photograph shared by IRNA shows Raisi's usual chair vacant and draped with a black sash in his memory, underscoring the nation's mourning.
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