Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have martyred in a helicopter crash in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan.

The helicopter carrying President Raeisi and his accompanying delegation crashed on Sunday in the Dizmar forest, nestled between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azarbaijan Province.

It was transporting Raeisi, Amir-Abdollahian, East Azarbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, Friday Prayers leader of the city of Tabriz Seyyed Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, and a member of the president’s bodyguard team Mahdi Mousavi. The helicopter’s pilot, co-pilot, and crew were also among others on board the chopper.

President Raeisi and his accompanying delegation were returning from a ceremony to inaugurate a dam on the Aras River with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

Following the tragic martyrdom of Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei declared a 5-day mourning in Iran.

The funeral ceremonies for helicopter crash martyrs are scheduled to be held in East Azarbaijan Province, Qom, and the Grand Mosalla mosque of Tehran on Tuesday. Another funeral ceremony will be held at the University of Tehran on Wednesday morning. A commemoration ceremony is set to be held on Wednesday afternoon in the presence of high-ranking foreign deletions. The body of martyr Raeisi would be transferred to South Khorasan Province on Thursday for another funeral before final destination, the Holy city of Mashhad in Razavi Khorasan Province.

People gathering to bid farewell to the helicopter crash martyrs

Remarks of Interior Minister

Speaking at the ceremony, Iranian interior minister Ahmad Vahdidi cited that today, Iran mourns for the death of a beloved, popular, and humble president.

The Iranian nation is saddened by the death of a foreign minister who left active diplomacy in the critical moments of the resistance as his legacy, Vahidi added.

He also praised the constructive efforts of the Governor of the East Azarbaijan province and the province’s Friday prayers leader in their roles.

“We had a bad landing in this matter, but we will have a brilliant rise,” Vahidi stressed.

Bodies transferred from martyrs cemetery to funeral ceremony

Minutes later, the body of the martyred president and his companions were transferred from the Tabriz Martyrs cemetery for the funeral ceremony.

People attending the ceremony

Hours before the ceremony, the crowds of people from across the East Azarbaijan province gathered at the site of the ceremony.

Provincial and national officials are also taking part in the funeral ceremony.

Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji recently told reporters that by exploiting this stage, the construction of South Pars refineries will be completed and this will be its last phase.

South Pars Phase 14 Refinery with the aim of producing 50 million cubic meters of gas for urban uses(methane) and 75,000 barrels of gas condensate and 400 tons of sulfur per day, as well as one million tons of LPG and one million tons of ethane per year in order to feed petrochemical units was inaugurated. The National Oil of Iran and Pars Oil and Gas Company in an all-Iranian consortium under the leadership of Iran Industries Development and Modernization Organization operated the massive national project.

More than 70% of the total goods required for the 14th phase of South Pars were supplied by domestic factories.

The huge offshore field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which are in Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers, called North Dome, are situated in Qatar’s territorial waters.

The field is estimated to contain a significant reserve of natural gas, accounting for about eight percent of the world’s reserves, and approximately 18 billion barrels of condensate.

President Raeisi arrived in the southern province of Bushehr to inaugurate that project and some other government projects on Thursday morning.

Speaking to reporters in Kangan County in Bushehr Province, Javad owji, the Iranian oil minister said that the 14th phase of South Pars was the last dry refinery in the South Pars gas field, voicing optimism that Phase 11 of South Pars which is in the waters of Persian Gulf will be completed in the two months.