Iran declares 5 days of mourning over President Raisi’s death

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced on Monday, May 20, five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province.

President Raisi died on Monday after his helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of the country.

Rescue teams had been scouring the area since Sunday afternoon after the helicopter carrying Raisi had gone missing on its radar.

He was travelling with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who also died in the accident, and some body guards .

Early Monday morning, relief workers located the missing helicopter, and state TV revealed the president had died.

“The servant of Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi has achieved the highest level of martyrdom whilst serving the people,” state television said Monday, with Mehr news agency also saying he was dead.