Iran on Mourning: President's Raisi Death Confirmed

Iranian Vice President Mohsen Mansouri has confirmed the tragic news of the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation in a helicopter crash. The aircraft went down on Sunday afternoon in the mountainous region of Varzaqan, in East Azerbaijan Province, as it was returning from a dam inauguration ceremony at the border of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Pir-Hossein Kolivand, in an interview with the semi-official Tasnim news agency, stated that no survivors were found at the crash site. "The location of the crashed helicopter was discovered after extensive hours of search," Kolivand indicated.

Among the victims were high-profile figures such as Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Ayatollah Al-Hashem, the Imam of Tabriz, and the Governor of Tabriz, Malik Rahmati. Also perished were Sardar Mousavi, head of the President's Protection Unit and a member of the Ansar al-Mahdi Corps, along with the pilot, co-pilot, and a technical officer.

The incident has plunged the country into a state of shock and mourning. The helicopter was returning from the inauguration of a significant water infrastructure when the fatal accident occurred. Iranian authorities have launched an investigation to determine the causes of the crash, as the nation prepares to honor its fallen leaders.