Iran's Vice President Mohsen Mansouri confirmed on May 20 the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
"We belong to Allah and indeed we will return to Him," he wrote on the X social network account, posting a video and photo with Raisi.
This phrase is mentioned in the Qur'an in verse 156 of Surah Al-Baqarah. Muslims recite it when delivering bad news: death, famine, loss of property, and other misfortunes and tragedies.
Mehr reported earlier that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash. All the people on the plane were also killed, including Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. Earlier, Reuters, citing its source in the country's government, reported that Raisi's board was completely burnt as a result of the accident.
The accident with the helicopter of the President of Iran took place on May 19, when Raisi was returning from a meeting with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. On Sunday, they participated in the opening ceremony of the Khudaferi and Giz Galas aqueducts on the Aras River.
Raisi's cortege consisted of three helicopters. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Governor of East Azerbaijan Malik Rahmati and other officials were on the plane with the head of Iran. Two more helicopters from the convoy safely reached their destination. The head of the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ahmed Vahidi, noted that the hard landing of the helicopter occurred due to fog and bad weather.
