Hours before Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash that also killed his foreign minister and eight other senior officials, Iran state media shared videos of the leader on board the chopper on Sunday.
The video shows the Iranian leader looking out of an aircraft window as the camera pans to show several senior officials including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian seated opposite him.
In a clip, shared by Iran video, the President can be seen meeting officials before he boarded the chopper. Approximately 30 minutes after the aircraft took off, contact was lost with it. Nearly 16 hours after that, the mangled wreckage of the helicopter was found on a mountain peak.
"The servant of Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi has achieved the highest level of martyrdom whilst serving the people," state television said.
Iranian media initially described the situation as an "accident". Iran's Deputy President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri said two officials had established contact with rescue teams, suggesting that the crash might not have been cataclysmic.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the death of the Iranian President and said that India stands with Iran in its "time of sorrow".
"Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr. Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His contribution to strengthening India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow," he said in a post on X.
PM Modi had expressed "deep concern" when the Iranian leader's helicopter had gone missing, saying he was praying for the well-being of the president and his entourage.
