Ayatollah Khamenei declares 5 days of mourning, appoints Bagheri as Foreign Minister

Shafaq News / The Iranian government announced, on Monday, the formation of six committees to manage state affairs following the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The government’s spokesperson stated, "Ali Bagheri has been appointed as Foreign Minister in place of Amir-Abdollahian."

Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared a five-day national mourning period in Iran following the incident.

According to Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution, in the event of the President's death, the First Vice President temporarily assumes the presidency.

The Iranian Constitution also stipulates that "in the event of the President's death, dismissal, resignation, absence, or illness for more than two months, or if the presidential term ends without a new president being elected due to certain obstacles, the First Vice President assumes the duties of the President and enjoys his powers with the approval of the leadership."

The Constitution requires a committee consisting of the Speaker of the Parliament, the Chief Justice, and the First Vice President to prepare for the election of a new president within a maximum of 50 days.

Earlier on Monday morning, Iranian state television confirmed the deaths of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash.

The helicopter crashed in a rugged mountainous area amid harsh weather conditions while the President was returning from an event attended with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate a joint dam on the Aras River border between the two countries.

The announcement of President Raisi death came after a challenging search operation involving dozens of rescue teams amidst dense fog and blizzards.

Ebrahim Raisi was the eighth President of Iran, elected in 2021 to succeed President Hassan Rouhani.