NAIROBI, Kenya May 20 – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have been confirmed dead along with 7 others in helicopter crash.
Raisi and the team were flying back from Azerbaijan when their chopper went down near Eastern the border.
After a long night search hampered by bad weather, rescuers say they have found the badly damaged wreckage with no signs of survivors because it went up in flames on impact.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for prayers, while assuring that there will be no disruption in governance.
Rescuers led by the Red Crescent said that the entire cabin of the helicopter was significantly damaged and burned with no signs of survivors on the site.
According to the Iranian Constitution, in the event of the president’s death or incapacity, the first vice president will take over and assume the functions of the president until an election is held within a maximum period of 50 days.
The first Vice President or Iran is Mohammad Mokhber, the person now next in line in the presidency with authority of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who has the final say in that Islamic Republic.
On the other hand, Raisi who was tipped to succeed the current Supreme Leader who is aging and frail, is hardliner with deep connections in the judiciary where he served as its head and religious elite.
