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ANTI-REGIME Iranians have taken to the streets to “celebrate the good news” of President Ebrahim Raisi’s sudden death.
Footage showed fireworks being sent up into the night sky after the brutal leader died in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province.
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Riot police are reportedly seen in the northern Iranian city of Rasht
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East2WestRiot police were spotted in Rasht, a city in the north of Iran, on Sunday night as it came to light that Raisi’s helicopter had crashed in bad weather and the president, known as “The Butcher”, was missing.
Iran‘s Islamic regime was said to have brought out its forces in Tehran and in Rasht last night to crush the celebrations they expected would come if Raisi’s death was announced in the morning.
Officials and state media confirmed on Monday that Raisi’s body had been found following an hours-long search through the fog in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
The president died aged 63.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was also found dead in the charred wreckage of the helicopter, with other victims including the imam for Friday prayers in the city of Tabriz and the governor of the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan.
The commander of the president’s protection unit, Sardar Seyed Mehdi Mousavi, was also killed – along with an unknown number of bodyguards and helicopter crew.
Video captured by a Tehran resident showed fireworks being lit on the ground and shooting up into the night sky.
The resident was heard in the clip saying: “Let’s celebrate the good news of Ebrahim Raisi’s chopper crash,” Iran International reports.
Another video filmed in Iran after Iranian residents heard Raisi’s helicopter had crashed showed a succession of bright bursts sparkling above buildings in the distance.
Iranians were seen in other footage dancing to live TV news coverage of the helicopter crash.
Across the world in London, people were seen in video throwing a dance party in front of the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
A large group of revellers waved the Iranian flag, while others wrapped themselves in Israel’s flag.
The daughters of anti-regime protester Minoo Majidi, who was shot by Iranian security forces with 167 shotgun pellets and died during “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in 2022, shared a video of them toasting the news of the crash to social media.
State media halted its regular programming to show prayers being held for the missing president across the country.
On Monday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared the country would enter five days of mourning for Raisi.
He said: “I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran.”
Khamenei confirmed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as interim head of the country’s executive branch, and said he had up to 50 days to elect a new president.
Who are Raisi's potential successors?
IRAN’s president was confirmed dead in a helicopter smash yesterday/today – as another Islamist hardliner close to Vladimir Putin was anointed his successor, Nick Parker writes.
President Ebrahim Raisi, 63, was reported by state media to have “accepted martyrdom while fulfilling his duty to the people of Iran”.
There were no survivors when his US-made Bell 212 craft plunged into a remote hillside in thick fog after flying from a dam opening ceremony on the Azerbaijan border.
Hours later Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei announced Raisi would be replaced by first vice-president Mohammad Mokhber, 68.
Mokhber visited Moscow in October when Iran agreed to supply surface-to-surface missiles and more drones to bolster Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.
He will be a part of a three-man council to organise a new presidential election in the next 50 days – and is favourite to win power thanks to his closeness to the Ayatollah.
The death smash came 36 days after Iran’s 320 missile and drone attack on Israel was repelled – and immediately fuelled conspiracist claims of Israeli sabotage.
Iranian state TV and pictures and reports remained focused on atrocious weather conditions amid speculation of a technical fault on board the ageing craft.
But in Moscow, Putin’s propagandists quickly began spewing conspiracy theories that Raisi was the victim of a Western-backed plot aided by Israel.
Russian war correspondent Semyon Pegov said: “When I talk about a possible Israeli trace – this does not mean that there is no British, American or Turkish one.
“Israel was both an interested party and had the technical ability to carry out this terrorist attack.
“But I don’t think that Tel Aviv would have taken such a radical step without consulting and informing senior comrades from the NATO bloc.”
Bigwigs including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azerbaijan governor Malik Rahmeti and Ayatollah of Tabriz province, Ali Hashim died alongside him.
Aerial footage, shot by the Red Crescent, appears to show the tail of a helicopter next to a large patch of scorched earth on a hillside littered with debris.
The “Butcher of Tehran” was one of the most conservative presidents Iran has ever seen.
Raisi rose to prominence in the Islamic Republic after allegedly serving as a key member of the so-called “Death Commission” which ordered thousands of political prisoners to be killed in 1988.
He represented everything critics of the Islamic Republic despised, says Israel and Iran journalist and analyst Jonathan Harounoff.
Mr Harounoff told Iran International: “Widespread bureaucratic corruption, woeful economic mismanagement, sky-high inflation, high unemployment.
“Not to mention tight censorship and severe punishment or death for political dissent.”
Women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad wrote on X that the helicopter crash was “the only crash in history where everyone is worried if someone survived”.
The head of Iran’s cyber police on Monday warned people against celebrating on social media.
He said online activities were being closely monitored and said social media users should refrain from posting content that could “provoke or disturb public emotions”.
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The bodies are carried through a fog-shrouded mountainous area of northwest Iran
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