Iran set for election to replace deceased President Raisi

According to the Constitution of Iran, a presidential election will be held within 50 days after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

All nine people on board the Iranian President Raisi’s helicopter, which crashed in the country’s North-West, have died.

Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian are among the nine dead, according to local media reports.

On Monday morning, local media published images taken by a drone showing debris from what appears to be a completely destroyed aircraft on a steep slope in the middle of the forest.

Raisi and Amirabdollahian were travelling back from a meeting with the president of neighbouring Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, when their aircraft disappeared from radar on Sunday afternoon.

After the approval of Iran’s leader, the first Vice President Mohammed Mokhber becomes president temporarily for nearly 2 months.

Iran’s cabinet holds new emergency session after President’s death

Meanwhile, the Iranian cabinet has convened a second emergency meeting in less than 24 hours following the confirmation of the death of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Local media reported on Monday that the Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber had already chaired a meeting on Sunday evening after the helicopter went missing with nine people on board over Iran’s north-west.

The report stated that Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also died in the helicopter crash.

Raisi and Amirabdollahian were travelling back from a meeting with the president of neighbouring Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, when their aircraft disappeared from radar on Sunday afternoon.

According to protocol, with Raisi’s death, Mokhber should assume power, pending approval from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

New elections will then have to hold within 50 days.

All 9 victims in Iranian helicopter crash identified

The Iranian government said that all the nine people killed in Sunday’s helicopter crash have now been identified.

A high-ranking government representative told the Iranian news agency Tasnim, that  in spite of the  severe burns, the identities of all occupants in the helicopter were established on Monday .

Their bodies have since been transferred to Tabriz, the capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.

State media had previously confirmed the deaths of all nine occupants of the helicopter, including  president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

The chopper crashed while they were travelling back from a meeting with the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

A senior imam from Tabriz who led the Friday prayers in the city was on the aircraft.

Tasnim reported that the imam was alive for about an hour after the crash and was able to contact the presidential office before succumbing to his injuries.