Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s last visuals before helicopter crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian along with other senior officials were killed after their helicopter crashed on May 19.

President Ebrahim Raisi, FM Amirabdollahian and other high officials were killed after the helicopter crashed as it was flying in a mountainous terrain amid dense fog in East Azerbaijan province.

Iran’s State TV reported that images from the site showed the aircraft slammed into a mountain peak.

Later, Iran’s Mehr news agency confirmed the deaths of all on board the helicopter, reporting that “all passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred”.

An Iranian official earlier told Reuters the helicopter carrying Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was completely burned in the crash on Sunday.

According to Iran’s state media, East Azarbaijan Province’s Governor Malek Rahmati, and Mehdi Mousavi, the head of Raisi’s guard team were also killed in the crash.

Soon after the incident, Iranian authorities began an extensive search and rescue operation which was affected by dense fog.

However, the search team located the crashed helicopter in East Azerbaijan province on Monday, May 20, morning.

Now, a video of President Ebrahim Raisi is making rounds in which he is seen inside the helicopter before it crashed.

Following the death of Raisi, Mohammad Mokhber was appointed Iran’s interim president on Monday.

The Iranian media said that the election for the president will be held within 50 days.

As interim president, Mokhber is part of a three-person council, along with the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, that will organise a new presidential election within 50 days of the president’s death.