The Iranian Supreme leader, Ayatolla Khamenei has appointed the country’s First Vice President, Mohammad Mokhber, as interim President, following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
Khamenei described the late Raisi as a “popular, capable, hard-working and indefatigable” President, expressing great sadness at receiving the “bitter news of his martyrdom.”
Iran’s Supreme leader said according to Article 131 of Iran’s constitution, the First Vice President would be appointed at the helm of the executive branch.
He stressed that the First Vice President was duty-bound to, in cooperation with the Parliament Speaker and Judiciary Chief, make the arrangements for the election of the new President.
The crash that took Raisi’s life occurred on Sunday in Varzaqan County as he, along with his accompanying team on board three helicopters, was on his way from Khoda Afarin County, where he had attended the inauguration ceremony of a storage dam along with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, earlier in the day, to the provincial capital Tabriz for the inauguration of a petrochemical complex.
The other members onboard Raisi’s helicopter, included his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahiyan, East Azerbaijan’s Governor Malek Rahmati and the Friday prayers leader Tabriz Mohammad Ali Ale-Hasehem, as well as the flight crew, also lost their lives.
Many countries continue to send their condolence messages.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed sadness at the news of Raisi’s death. He is quoted saying that, “Russia is standing by Iran with all its power.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted his condolence message on X saying, “Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr. Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His contribution to strengthening India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.”
