Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister confirmed dead in helicopter crash

Ultraconservative Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed Sunday, along with his foreign minister, in a helicopter crash in Iran’s remote northwest, injecting fresh uncertainty as the country’s hardline clerical establishment navigates rising regional tensions and domestic discontent.

The loss of two of Iran’s most influential political figures comes as the country buckles under significant economic and political strain, with tensions with nearby Israel at a dangerous high.

Drone footage of the helicopter wreckage taken by the Red Crescent and carried on Iranian state media showed the crash site on a steep, wooded hillside, with little remaining of the helicopter beyond a blue and white tail.

The army chief in Iran is ordering an investigation into the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi, its foreign minister, and seven others. Iran’s state media reported the news Monday afternoon. They say a military commander will lead a group of technical experts into the mountains where it happened. Ebrahim Raisi’s chopper was travelling through a mountainous area in the country’s northwest region when it encountered foggy conditions and crashed in a remote area. Raisi and the group were found dead by rescue teams. The news has brought mourning in Iran and leaves the Islamic republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei quickly named a little-known vice president as caretaker. Iran has not stated a cause or speculated on what happened. Raisi’s tenure as president was met with resistance and condemnation regarding human rights violations, according to the United Nations. A new election is expected in Iran.