Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, aged 63, died in a helicopter crash on May 19, 2024, alongside Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and five others. The accident occurred in a foggy, mountainous region near the Azerbaijan-Iran border. Rescue operations took 17 hours in harsh weather conditions to locate the wreckage. Raisi and others were confirmed dead on the morning of May 20, 2024.
Raisi, who had been seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held numerous important government roles throughout his career, including as a prosecutor and a judge. He was known for his stringent enforcement of Iran’s laws and his involvement in the 1988 mass executions of political prisoners. Raisi assumed the presidency in 2021 after winning an election that saw low voter turnout and allegations of disqualified opponents.
Following his death, Iran's Vice President Mohammad Mokhber was appointed as the acting president, with a snap election mandated for June 28, 2024. Memorial services for Raisi attracted vast crowds, which Ayatollah Khamenei claimed demonstrated ongoing popular support for Iran’s Islamic Republic.