TEHRAN – Iran has begun investigating the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of its president Ebrahim Raisi, the foreign minister and their accompanying teams.
Iranian armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri has assigned a high-ranking delegation to investigate the case.
The delegation headed by Brigadier Ali Abdollahi has been dispatched to the site of the incident and the investigation has already begun, Bernama reports, citing the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
“The results of the investigations will be announced later when the mission is completed,” IRNA reported Ali saying.
Raisi, 63, was returning from a ceremony to open a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan on Sunday when his helicopter crashed in Varzaqan, northwestern Iran.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and a number of senior provincial officials were also on board the helicopter.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared five days of mourning, while Raisi’s funeral procession will be held next Wednesday in Tehran.
Mohammad Mokhber and Ali Bagheri Kani are now interim president and foreign minister, respectively, until Iran holds elections which have to be held within 50 days according to the country’s constitution.
The polls, which will be held a year earlier than scheduled, are to take place on June 28, according to state media.
Raise was elected to the presidency in 2021. – May 21, 2024