Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Killed in Helicopter Crash

Top Contender to Succeed Supreme Leader Dies at 63

By Al Jazeera Staff

May 20, 2024 | 12:48 AM Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's president and a top contender to succeed the nation's supreme leader, was killed on Sunday after the helicopter he was in went down in the country's east. Raisi, 63, was widely seen as a protégé and trusted confidant of Iran's supreme leader, 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was born in the eastern city of Mashhad in 1960 to a devoutly religious family and was swept up in the fervor of Iran's Islamic Revolution. Raisi's death comes as Iran is facing a number of challenges, including economic sanctions, political unrest, and a renewed push for nuclear weapons by some within the country. It is unclear what impact his death will have on the country's future.