Iran Assures Raisi's Death Will Not Cause 'Any Disruption'
The Iranian government confirmed today the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash in the northwest of the country, but assured that the disaster will not cause "any disruption in the administration" of Iran.
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"The President of the Iranian people, a tireless worker, (...) sacrificed his life for the nation," said the Tehran executive, in a statement after the first meeting since the accident.
"We assure our loyal, grateful and beloved nation that, with God's help and the people's support, there will be no disruption whatsoever in the country's administration," added the Iranian government.
The helicopter carrying Raisi and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, was located today on a mountain in northwestern Iran, with no survivors, authorities confirmed.
The aircraft crashed in the Kalibar and Warzghan area, in the East Azerbaijan province, in the northwest of the country.
The accident occurred on Sunday, when the entourage was returning from the border with Azerbaijan, where Raisi inaugurated a dam with his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev.
At least 65 rescue teams were on the ground in search operations, which are being hampered by dense fog and heavy rain.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Azerbaijan offered help to Tehran, while US President Joe Biden was informed about the incident, according to the White House, which did not provide further details.
Turkey has already sent 32 rescue teams and six vehicles, and the European Union has activated the Copernicus rapid response mapping service at Iran's request.
Russia has also sent a rescue team with 47 specialists, all-terrain vehicles and a helicopter.
Ebrahim Raisi, 63, a hardline cleric, was elected President of Iran in 2021, in a presidential election with the lowest turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic.
His leadership has seen an intensification of the repression against activists, women and critics of the regime.
The government has not provided details on the succession plans, but today's meeting was chaired by Raisi's possible replacement, the current first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber.
Mokhber, 68, has been in office since 2021 and previously led the powerful conglomerate "Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order". For these functions, he has been the target of sanctions by the United States since 2021.
The government will also hold an "emergency meeting" today, said the official Iranian news agency Irna, without revealing details about the meeting's agenda.
The Tehran Stock Exchange was closed today due to Raisi's death, said a member of the exchange's board of directors, Reza Eyvazlou, quoted by the Iranian news agency Mehr.
Read Also: Morreu o Presidente do Irão Ebrahim Raisi (Portuguese version)
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