After the tragic helicopter crash that took the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, Iran's cabinet appointed Ali Bagheri as acting Foreign Minister on Monday.
Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran in its statement said, “Iran's cabinet appoints Ali Bagheri as Acting Foreign Minister. This comes in the wake of the martyrdom of the energetic FM of the IR of Iran, Amirabdollahian in a helicopter crash carrying the president & his entourage: Foreign Ministry.”
Earlier in the day, Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Mokhber was appointed as the acting president of Iran. According to the Iranian Constitution, the Vice President can hold the office of President while the elections for the new President take place within 50 days.
Raisi killed in helicopter crash
Raisi, a hardliner long considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border, as reported by state media on Monday. The wreckage of the helicopter, carrying Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, was discovered in mountainous terrain on Monday morning following a search operation employing Turkish drones.
Vice President Mohsen Mansouri had confirmed Raisi's passing in a heartfelt statement on social media, a sentiment echoed on state television. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose authority extends to crucial matters like foreign policy and Iran's nuclear program, had moved swiftly to reassure the nation, emphasising that despite the loss, state affairs would continue uninterrupted.
(With Reuters Inputs)
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