Iran’s president killed in helicopter crash, election set for next month

Hossein Amirabdollahian had served as Foreign Minister since his appointment in 2021. His death, along with the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, will likely send shockwaves across the Middle East, where Iran has considerable influence.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash after an hourslong search through a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest, state media reported.

Here’s what to know

Cause of crash: State TV gave no immediate cause for the crash in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
Mohammad Mokhber: Iran’s first vice president is set to serve as the country’s acting president until elections are held.
Iranian authorities have agreed to hold the presidential election on June 28 following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, the state-run IRNA news agency reports.

President

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Workers prepare an area ahead of the visit of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart Edi Rama at the port of Shenjin, northwestern Albania, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Meloni is visiting Albania to thank the tiny Western Balkan country for its help hosting thousands of asylum seekers rescued from international waters. The visit comes just days before European Parliament elections, in which migration has been a key campaign issue. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)