21 May,2024 07:43 AM IST | Dubai | Agencies
Rescuers recovering bodies at the site of President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crash in a fog-shrouded mountainous area of northwest Iran. Pic/AFP
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and several other officials were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country's northwest, state media reported.
The crash comes as the Middle East remains unsettled by the Israel-Hamas war, during which Raisi, who was 63, under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel just last month.
During Raisi's term in office, Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels, further escalating tensions with the West as Tehran also supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and armed militia groups across the region.
ALSO READ
Video shows NY officer fatally shooting 13-year-old
Boeing's capsule returns to Earth as 2 astronauts are left behind in space
As Typhoon Yagi approaches, Vietnam closes airports, orders evacuations
Pakistani national charged with plotting terrorist attack in New York City; held
Let us strike deeper inside Russia: Zelensky tells West
Meanwhile, Iran has faced years of mass protests against its Shiite theocracy over its ailing economy and women's rights--making the moment that much more sensitive for Tehran and the future of the country.
Khamenei hours later announced Iran's first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, would serve as the country's acting president until elections are held.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever