Iran begins funerals for President Raisi, killed in helicopter crash

Iran began mourning events for President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday as the country grapples with the fallout from his sudden death at a time of heightened regional tensions and domestic uncertainty.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared five days of national mourning for Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six others who died in Sunday’s helicopter crash in a remote part of northwestern Iran. The shocking incident wiped out two of the Islamic Republic’s most important political figures and raises questions about its leadership beyond Khamenei, its ultimate authority.

Thousands of mourners gathered early Tuesday for the first memorial service in Tabriz, the major city closest to the crash site.

Crowds filled the procession area, some carrying posters of the deceased, as the vehicle carrying the coffins of those killed in the accident drove past.

In the afternoon the bodies are brought to the holy city of Qom.

Wednesday is a public holiday as a funeral for Raisi is taking place in the capital Tehran.

High-ranking foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremony, state news agency IRNA reported. However, given Iran’s status on the world stage, it is not yet clear who exactly would take part. Russia, one of Iran’s closest allies, confirmed on Tuesday that it would send State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.

Funerals will take place in two other cities on Thursday. Raisi is expected to be buried in the holy city of Mashhad on Friday.

His unexpected death led to scenes of mourning in Iran on Monday as condolences poured in.

But it was unclear whether Raisi’s death would provoke public mourning on the scale of mass funerals like that of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian commander who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2020. The theocratic regime often uses such events as a display of national strength and unity.

Some expressed relief at the death of 63-year-old Raisi, who was also known for brutalizing political opponents and protesters.

Laila, a 21-year-old student in Tehran, told Reuters that she was not sad about the news “because he ordered the crackdown on women because of hijab.”

“But I am sad because even after Raisi’s death, this regime will not change,” she said by phone.

Iran’s state media reported on Monday that the country’s top prosecutor had already ordered action against those posting “lies and insults” online about the crash that killed Raisi, following less positive comments on social media about his death and his legacy was disseminated.

In a brief statement late Monday, the State Department said the United States had expressed its “official condolences” on the death of Raisi and the seven others killed. “As Iran elects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms,” the statement continued.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also said the Iranian government asked the U.S. for help after the crash. Washington agreed, Miller said, but ultimately was unable to provide it, primarily for logistical reasons.

The United Nations Security Council, of which the United States is a permanent member, also observed a minute’s silence for Raisi on Monday.

In contrast to his more moderate predecessor Hassan Rouhani, Raisi was a conservative hardliner. During his time in office, the country came increasingly into conflict with the West, particularly over the role of Tehran-backed militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and pushed forward its nuclear program after the US withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal.

Although most observers agreed that there was no serious threat to the regime’s stability, the late president was one of the most promising candidates to succeed the aging Khamenei. His death sparked fears of a succession crisis at a time when tensions had already been rising following Tehran’s unprecedented direct retaliation against Israel.

Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, was quickly appointed as temporary caretaker ahead of an election to choose a new president set to take place in the next 50 days.

Iran has not given a cause for the crash that killed Raisi, but there was no suggestion of foul play.

An investigation into the crash was officially opened on Monday. The model that crashed in dense fog was a U.S.-made Bell helicopter that Iran purchased in the early 2000s, Iranian state media said.

Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed the crash on U.S.-imposed sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector.

Miller, the State Department spokesman, later told reporters that Washington would not apologize for its sanctions, adding that it was the Iranian government that was responsible for the decision to use a 45-year-old helicopter in supposedly bad weather flying conditions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also blamed US sanctions on Tuesday for jeopardizing aviation safety in Iran and “endangering people’s lives.”

Tehran is accused by Ukraine and its Western allies of supplying Russia with drones and other weapons for its war in Ukraine. Both Iran and Russia deny these allegations.