Iran's president and foreign minister both perish in helicopter crash.

Ebrahim Raisi, former president of Iran

 Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, has been killed in a helicopter crash, according to Iran's state media. The country's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was also in the helicopter and he too succumbed to his injuries from Sunday's crash, along with six other people.

The helicopter, one of three travelling in a convoy, crashed during a heavy fog which blanketed the north of the country. President Raisi was heading to the city of Tabriz, in the north-west of Iran, after returning from a dam opening ceremony on the Azerbaijan border. Iranian authorities say one victim, an imam, survived for an hour and tried to get help for the victims. Since this tragedy, Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed the country's new acting President.

Several hours after international media had confirmed President Raisi and Amir-Abdollahiandeath deaths world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Poland's President Andrzej Duda offered their condolences to the people of Iran. The Kremlin confirmed a phone call between Putin and Mokhber after the incident with Putin describing Raisi as a "reliable partner" and a "true friend of Russia".

Other nations also expressed their condolences:

• France extended its condolences with a brief foreign ministry statement. "France offers its condolences to the Islamic Republic of Iran following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and those accompanying them," the statement said
• European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell offered his condolences over the death Raisi and other Iranian officials in a helicopter crash, a few hours after reaction from Charles Michel
• International Atomic Energy Agency Director, Rafael Grossi, held a minute of silence after the news of the death of Raisi, during a speech at an international conference on nuclear security in Vienna
• NATO's spokesperson took to X, formerly Twitter, and offered condolences to the Iranian nation after the death of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian, in a post written in Persian

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has announced five days of mourning following the death of the country's President, Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. State media confirmed they were killed after the helicopter they were travelling in came down on Sunday. Ayatollah Khamenei offered his condolences "to the dear people of Iran".

Mr Raisi, who was 63, was noted to be a potential successor to the supreme leader.