The President of Iran Dies in a Helicopter Crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister died in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran, the government announced Monday.  Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday appointed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as interim president and announced five days of mourning in the country.  The death of the 63-year-old Iranian president opens a period of political uncertainty in Iran, a heavyweight in the Middle East, at a time when the region is shaken by the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, an ally. of the Islamic Republic.