Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s Death:

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian have been declared dead following a helicopter crash on May 19. Reuters reported citing statements from Iranian officials

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi death and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian have been declared dead following a helicopter crash on May 19. Reuters reported this tragic news, citing statements from Iranian officials. The wreckage of the helicopter was discovered by rescuers over 12 hours later, on May 20 morning. Local media reported that there were “no signs of life” at the crash site.

Who Is Ebrahim Raisi?

8th President of Iran
In office 3 August 2021 – 19 May 2024
Supreme Leader	Ali Khamenei
Vice President	Mohammad Mokhber
Preceded by	Hassan Rouhani
Succeeded by	Mohammad Mokhber (acting)
7th Chief Justice of Iran
In office 7 March 2019 – 1 July 2021
Appointed by	Ali Khamenei
First Deputy	Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i
Preceded by	Sadeq Larijani
Succeeded by	Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i
Member of Expediency Discernment Council
In office 14 August 2017 – 7 March 2019
Appointed by	Ali Khamenei
Chairman	Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi Sadeq Larijani
Prosecutor-General of Iran
In office 23 August 2014 – 1 April 2016
Appointed by	Sadeq Larijani
Preceded by	Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i
Succeeded by	Mohammad Jafar Montazeri
Member of the Assembly of Experts
In office 24 May 2016 – 19 May 2024
Constituency	South Khorasan Province
Majority	325,139 (80%)
In office 20 February 2007 – 21 May 2016
Constituency	South Khorasan Province
Majority	200,906 (69%)
2nd First Deputy Chief Justice of Iran
In office 27 July 2004 – 23 August 2014
Chief Justice	Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi Sadeq Larijani
Preceded by	Mohammad-Hadi Marvi
Succeeded by	Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i
Chairman of General Inspection Office
In office 22 August 1994 – 9 August 2004
Appointed by	Mohammad Yazdi
Preceded by	Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad
Succeeded by	Mohammad Niazi
Personal details
Born	Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati 14 December 1960 Mashhad, Imperial State of Iran
Died	19 May 2024 (aged 63) Bakrabad Rural District, East Azerbaijan, Iran
Cause of death	Helicopter crash
Political party	Combatant Clergy Association
Other political affiliations	Islamic Republican Party (until 1987)
Spouse	Jamileh Alamolhoda ​ ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	2
Relatives	Ahmad Alamolhoda (father-in-law)
Alma mater	Shahid Motahari University Qom Seminary (both disputed)
Signature
Website	president.ir raisi.ir
Nickname	Butcher of Tehran

Ebrahim Raisi is an Iranian politician and jurist who has served in various capacities within the Iranian government.He was serving as the President of Iran, having been elected in June 2021. Before assuming the presidency, Raisi held several significant positions in the Iranian judiciary, including serving as the Chief Justice of Iran from 2019 to 2021. Raisi’s background is primarily in law and judiciary, and he has been associated with the conservative political faction in Iran. His presidency has significant implications for Iran’s domestic and foreign policies, particularly given his close ties to the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his stance on various issues, including nuclear negotiations and human rights.

Who is Hossein Amir Abdollahian ?

Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 25 August 2021 – 19 May 2024
President	Ebrahim Raisi
Preceded by	Mohammad Javad Zarif
Succeeded by	Ali Bagheri (Acting)
Ambassador of Iran to Bahrain
In office 21 August 2007 – 4 September 2010
President	Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded by	Mohammad Farazmand
Succeeded by	Mehdi Aghajafari
Personal details
Born	23 April 1964 Damghan, Iran
Died	19 May 2024 (aged 60) Bakrabad Rural District, Iran
Cause of death	Helicopter crash
Alma mater	School of International Relations (BA) University of Tehran (MA, PhD)

 

Hossein Amir Abdollahian is an Iranian diplomat and politician who has held several significant positions in the Iranian government. He has served as Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs, and as an advisor to the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament. Amir Abdollahian has been involved in Iranian foreign policy, particularly concerning the Middle East region. He is known for his expertise in Arab and Middle Eastern affairs and has been a vocal advocate for Iran’s interests in the region. As of my last update, he was not associated with any reports of his death. For the most current information, it’s best to refer to reliable news sources.

Iranian President and Foreign Minister Die in Helicopter Crash

The crash occurred near Jolfa, a city situated on the border with Azerbaijan, approximately 600 kilometres (375 miles) northwest of Tehran, the Iranian capital. President Raisi was reportedly returning from a visit to neighbouring Azerbaijan.

According to local media, there were nine people on board the helicopter. These included Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Malek Rahmati (Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province), Mohammad Ali Alehashem (Imam of Tabriz’s Friday prayers), as well as a pilot, copilot, crew chief, head of security, and an additional bodyguard.

Heavy rains, fog, and strong winds were reported as the primary causes of the crash, with some describing the incident as a “hard landing.” Following the crash reports on May 19, the chief of staff of Iran’s army directed all army and elite Revolutionary Guards resources to be deployed for search and rescue operations.

In the early hours of May 20, several images and videos circulated on social media showing rescue teams wearing bright jackets and head torches as they huddled around a GPS device. The teams were searching a pitch-black mountainside on foot amidst a blizzard.

Rescue Operations and Investigations

Rescue operations were hampered by severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and snow. The rough terrain and poor visibility also made the search efforts challenging. Despite these difficulties, rescuers persisted throughout the night, demonstrating remarkable dedication to finding any possible survivors.

The local authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash. Initial reports suggest that adverse weather conditions played a significant role, but a detailed inquiry will be necessary to confirm this.

Why is this a delicate and difficult moment for Iran?

President Raisi, 63, was considered to be a hardline cleric, had been seen as the likely successor to Iran’s octogenarian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In his three years in power, President Raisi had worked to expand Iran’s influence in the Middle East, which included backing armed groups in several countries in the region, and to accelerate his country’s nuclear programme after the United States under President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal that western powers had struck with Tehran.

The last few months have been among the most tense for the Middle East in recent years. Iran’s decades-old hostility with Israel spilt into open aggression after Tehran launched an unprecedented aerial attack on Israel last month in retaliation for the Israeli bombing of Iranian diplomatic premises in Syria, in which a senior Iranian military leader was killed.

Under Raisi, Iran has emerged as a major source of the supply of military drones to Russia, which has contributed significantly to Russia’s successful war strategy in Ukraine.