Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead following the Sunday May 19, 2024 helicopter crash in North-Western Iran.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other leaders also perished in the helicopter crash alongside President Ebrahim Raisi.
According to the IRNA state news agency, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, the Imam for Friday prayers in Tabriz, and General Malek Rahmati, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, were also on board.
Additionally, Sardar Seyed Mehdi Mousavi, the commander of the president’s protection unit, and several bodyguards and helicopter crew members also lost their lives.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the helicopter carrying President Raisi experienced some technical issues and made a hard landing, as reported by state media.
However, the exact details of what happened are still unclear.
According to local media, President Raisi was on his way to Tabriz, in the Northwest of Iran, after visiting the border with Azerbaijan and inaugurating the Qiz Qalasi and Khodaafarin dams.
The helicopter was part of a convoy of three.
A similar helicopter crash happened in Kenya on April 28, 2024, that led to the death of Kenya’s Chief of defence forces General Francis Ogolla and nine KDF soldiers while on duty in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
