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Iranian President Raisi's helicopter crash

Ayatollah Khamenei announces national mourning following death of Iran’s leader Raisi

The public mourning will last five days

DUBAI, May 20. /TASS/. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared a five-day national mourning for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and several high-ranking Iranian officials killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, Tasnim reported.

"I announce five days of public mourning and express my condolences to the dear people of Iran," the news agency quoted Khamenei as saying in a statement.

A helicopter carrying Raisi crashed in Iran’s province of East Azerbaijan on May 19. Iran’s top diplomat, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Governor of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati and Tabriz Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem were also on board and died. Head of the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran Pir Hossein Kolivand pronounced all passengers and the crew of Raisi’s helicopter dead. Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri confirmed reports about the death of Iran’s leader in the crash.

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