Iran declares 5-day mourning following President Raisi’s death  

KABUL (Pajhwok): Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared five days of public mourning following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials in a helicopter crash in the northwestern part of the country, Iranian media said on Monday.

IRNA reported that Ayatollah Khamenei expressed his great sadness over the death of President Raisi in the incident that took place in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province a day earlier.

In the message, the Supreme Leader described Raisi as a hard-working cleric and a popular president who dedicated his life to serving the people of Iran, the country and Islam.

He offered condolences to the Iranian nation and approved Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber to take over as interim president and to cooperate with the heads of the Iranian parliament and judiciary to prepare the ground for the election of a new president within the next 50 days.

Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed sadness over the death of other senior officials who were with President Raisi in the helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian as well as Tabriz Friday prayer leader and the provincial governor.

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