Middle East Iran Mourns Loss of President, Foreign Minister in Fatal Crash

Iran mourns President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, killed in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province. Officials confirm no survivors after the aircraft slammed into a mountain amid bad weather. Supreme Leader Khamenei reassures the nation, stating leadership remains stable despite the tragic loss.

Iran was plunged into mourning Monday after President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were among those killed when their helicopter slammed into a mountainside during a snowstorm, according to officials.

Search teams located the charred wreckage early Monday in East Azerbaijan province after hours of combing the rugged terrain, state media reported. All passengers aboard the U.S.-made Bell 212 helicopter perished in the fiery crash on Sunday. "With the discovery of the crash site, no signs of life were detected among the helicopter's passengers," said Pirhossein Kolivand, head of Iran's Red Crescent rescue corps.

The causes of the crash remained under investigation, but officials said the helicopter ran into heavy fog and icy conditions in the northwestern mountains near the city of Tabriz, where Raisi had been traveling after an earlier visit to a border area.

News of the 63-year-old president's death in the accident drew stunned reactions across Iran. State television abruptly shifted to round-the-clock coverage showing prayers and mourning scenes from around the country.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over matters of state, moved to reassure the nation that Iran's leadership would remain stable. "Everyone should pray for the health of these people who are serving the Iranian nation," Khamenei wrote on social media. "The nation doesn't need to be worried or anxious as the administration of the country will not be disrupted at all."

A former judiciary chief, the conservative Raisi had been seen as a potential successor to the 83-year-old Khamenei. His hardline presidency continued Iran's combative stance against U.S. sanctions and Western pressure over its nuclear program. Raisi and Amirabdollahian, 59, were key players in Iran's recent negotiations with world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which stalled last year amid intractable disagreements. The crash removes two of Iran's most prominent voices at a sensitive time.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Jake Sullivan said the United States "extends our condolences to the Iranian people for this tragic loss of life." He said the cause remained under investigation. Iran has seen a string of aviation disasters in recent years involving its aging fleet, which has been hampered by sanctions limiting replacements or repairs. In 2021, the Revolutionary Guards' top aerospace commander was among those killed in a plane crash.

Rescue teams braving blinding blizzards finally reached the remote crash site at daybreak Monday after a harrowing overnight search, state TV reported. "The helicopter carrying the president...was completely burned," it said. Iranian officials gave no further details on potential successors, but under the constitution, a new president would have to be elected within two months by the parliament, which is dominated by hardliners.

As the country mourned Raisi's death, the government also faced international pressure over its repression of anti-government protests and support for Palestinian militants battling Israel in Gaza. The president had strongly backed the militants during recent fighting.