Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has died in a helicopter crash at the age of 63, the government confirmed. The crash, which occurred in a remote, mountainous area in the northwest of Iran, also claimed the lives of the country’s foreign minister and seven others.
Raisi was considered the second-most powerful figure in the Islamic Republic, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In the wake of his death, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed as acting president, while top negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani steps in as acting foreign minister.
The tragic incident comes at a highly tense time in the Middle East. Just weeks prior, Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel in retaliation for a deadly strike on its diplomatic compound in Damascus.
Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner, assumed the presidency in 2021 following a historically uncompetitive election. His tenure was marked by intensified repression of dissent amid widespread youth-led protests against clerical rule. Raisi’s leadership was characterized by strict enforcement of conservative policies and efforts to suppress opposition.
As the nation processes this sudden loss, the political and social implications of Raisi’s death will likely unfold in the coming days. The Iranian government, under the interim leadership of Mokhber and Kani, faces significant challenges as it navigates this period of transition and ongoing regional tensions.