A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials crashed yesterday in dense fog, leaving no survivors, according to state media. Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is poised to assume the presidency, pending approval from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (see leadership structure). The country has 50 days to organize new elections.
Raisi—known to critics as the “butcher of Tehran”—was one of four judges who oversaw the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, following the Iran-Iraq War. After leading the judiciary, Raisi became president in 2021, known for cracking down on protesters, enforcing strict dress rules for women, and a confrontational approach to the West and Israel. A protégé of Khamenei’s, Raisi was considered a top candidate to eventually succeed the 85-year-old leader.
Raisi was in a convoy of three helicopters returning from a visit to Azerbaijan to inaugurate a joint dam project when his helicopter crashed over the mountainous region of northern Iran. Also onboard was Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and a provincial governor, among other officials.
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