Raisi was reported missing after the helicopter conveying him crashed while crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog
By Kehinde Okeowo
Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi has passed on at the age of 63 after the helicopter conveying him crashed.
TheNiche had earlier reported that there was palpable apprehension in the Islamic Republic of Iran following the crash on Sunday of a helicopter carrying him and his foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian.
An Iranian official told Reuters that the chopper crashed while crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog and that rescuers were struggling to reach the site of the incident.
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The official also said the lives of Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were “at risk following the helicopter crash”, which happened on the way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan in Iran’s northwest.
“We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
However, CNN has now confirmed his death, citing reports by Iranian news outlets.
According to the report, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was also among those killed, along with seven others.
Raisi’s death comes on the heels of a fraught moment in the Middle East, with war raging in Gaza.