Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and seven others, died after their helicopter crashed into a mountainside in northwestern Iran on the evening of May 19, 2024. The accident took place near Varzaghan, in Eastern Azerbaijan province. Reports indicate poor weather conditions as a potential factor, although official details remain scant.

The funeral procession began in Tabriz on May 21, 2024, with thousands of mourners lining the streets. The funeral featured caskets displayed on an open-bed white truck adorned with images and flowers, accompanied by heavy security. From Tabriz, the bodies were transported to the Shiite clerical city of Qom and then to Tehran, where a public holiday was declared on May 22 for nationwide observances.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is set to lead a farewell ceremony in Tehran, after which Raisi’s body will be flown to his hometown of Mashhad for burial on May 23.

Raisi’s death has sparked a mixed reaction; while official mourning was widespread, some Iranians celebrated his demise due to his reputation for brutal crackdowns on dissent and his role in mass executions during the 1980s. Authorities have warned against public celebrations and issued directives to prosecute those spreading “false content and insults” about the deceased officials.

Looking ahead, Iran’s leadership faces a period of uncertainty with an interim president, Mohammad Mokhber, appointed. New presidential elections are scheduled for June 28, 2024, underlining the potential for a significant political shift in the Islamic Republic.