President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage were killed in a helicopter crash yesterday (Sunday, May 19) in East Azerbaijan Province.

Among the deceased are Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Ayatollah Ale-Hashem, the Imam for Friday prayer of Tabriz, Malek Rahmati, governor-general of East Azerbaijan, Sardar Seyed Mehdi Mousavi, Iranian commander of the president's protection unit, a member of the Ansar al-Mahdi Corps, the pilot and co-pilot, and a technical officer.

In response to this incident, five days of national mourning have been declared in Iran.

The incident occurred after President Raisi visited East Azerbaijan Province for a one-day trip, where he met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and inaugurated the Qiz Qalasi dam project, a collaborative effort between the two countries on the border river Aras. After the project inauguration, the helicopter carrying President Raisi and his delegation left Azerbaijan for Tabriz at 1 PM local time and crashed due to adverse weather conditions on the return journey.

Iran’s Minister of Interior, Ahmad Vahidi, regarding the incident said: “On the return route, the President and his entourage were returning with several helicopters. One of the helicopters was forced to make a difficult landing due to bad weather and fog in the area.”

The helicopter carrying Ebrahim Raisi, known as a Bell-212, is an American-made helicopter designed by Bell Textron, with the first model taking flight in 1968.

Mohsen Mansouri, the Executive Vice President of Iran, said: “I extend my condolences to the presence of … the Supreme Leader on the tragic martyrdom of the leader of service, Ayatollah Raisi, and his dear companions.”

“When this happened yesterday and the news was confirmed this morning, we truly felt like we lost a significant source of support and power,” An Iranian citizen remarked on the incident.

After the incident, rescue forces mobilized and moved towards the crash site, but heavy rain and dust storms hindered the rescue operation. Eventually, after more than seventeen hours, the rescue teams, with the help of a Turkish drone, were able to locate the crash site.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, said: “With the decision of the Iranian government committee, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed as the interim head of the Iranian government, and Ali Bagheri has been appointed as the interim Foreign Minister replacing Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.”

"Iran is a systematic country, and this matter will have no impact on the individuals within the Iranian system. According to Iran's constitution, another person will immediately take over his duties," said Mohammad Emal Dostyar, a political analyst.

"This is a loss for Iran. It may have some negative impact on foreign policy, relations with other countries, the economy, or in the process of appointing a new president," said Seyed Akbar Sial, another political analyst.

The funeral ceremony for Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage is scheduled to be held tomorrow (Tuesday) in Tabriz.