Iran mourns the President’s death
After exchanging blows with Israel and voicing continuous support for Palestine, Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a fatal helicopter crash.
Thousands of Raisi’s mourners waved flags and the late president’s portraits as they gathered in Tabriz after news of the crash that occurred on 19th May, AFP reported.
The armed forces Chief of Staff, Mohammad Bagheri ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash.
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While many gathered in solidarity, others breathed a sign of relief as Raisi’s leadership saw an economic crisis, growing tensions with Israel, and a significant plunge back into the repressive beliefs and systems of the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary founders, the BBC reported.
State television titled Raisi “the servant of the Iranian nation” on Monday morning as it commemorated President Raisi and the seven members of his entourage who lost their lives in the airborne accident.
The helicopter lost communications and contact with its two escorting aircraft due to bad weather on the return journey from the inauguration of a joint dam project with Azerbaijan. It has been said that the two nations had an “unshakeable” friendship.
The extensive search and rescue resulted in the recovery of Raisi’s body. The eight coffins were paraded together on a lorry through the northern city of Tabriz.
Both Iranian and Palestinian flags were raised during the ceremonies as in the late president’s speech – that was given just hours before his death – reiterated Iran’s support for Palestine.
Further processions will take place in Tehran on the morning of the 22nd May and Raisi will be buried on 23rd May.
Iran was flooded with messages of condolence from its allies, including the Syrian government, and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Iran’s state media revealed that an election would be held on 28th June.
AFP/The Guardian/BBC
