Iran’s supreme leader leads prayers for president killed in helicopter crash

22 May 2024, 11:14

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, centre with black turban, leads a prayer over the flag-draped coffins of the late President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions who were killed in a helicop
Iran. Picture: PA

On the late President Ebrahim Raisi’s coffin sat a black turban – signifying him as a direct descendent of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

Iran’s supreme leader has presided over a funeral for the country’s late president, foreign minister and others killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, as tens of thousands later followed a procession of their caskets through Tehran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held the service at Tehran University, the caskets of the dead draped in Iranian flags with their pictures on them.

On the late President Ebrahim Raisi’s coffin sat a black turban — signifying him as a direct descendent of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

A woman holds a poster of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at mam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran
A woman holds a poster of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at Mam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran (Vahid Salemi/AP)

“Oh Allah, we didn’t see anything but good from him,” Mr Khamenei said in the standard prayer for the dead in Arabic.

He soon left and the crowd inside rushed to the front, reaching out to touch the coffins.

Iran’s acting president, Mohammad Mokhber, stood nearby and openly wept during the service.

People then carried the coffins out on their shoulders, with chants outside of “Death to America!”

They loaded them onto a semitruck trailer for a procession through downtown Tehran to Azadi, or “Freedom,” Square, where Mr Raisi gave speeches in the past.

In attendance were top leaders of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, one of the country’s major power centres.

Army members carry the flag-draped coffins of President Ebrahim Raisi
Army members carry the flag-draped coffins of President Ebrahim Raisi (Iranian Presidency Office/AP)

Also on hand was Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, the militant group that Iran has armed and supported during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip. Before the funeral, Mr Haniyeh spoke and an emcee led the crowd in the chant: “Death to Israel!”

“I come in the name of the Palestinian people, in the name of the resistance factions of Gaza… to express our condolences,” Mr Haniyeh told those gathered.

He also recounted meeting Mr Raisi in Tehran during Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasting month, and heard the president say the Palestinian issue remains the key one of the Muslim world.

The Muslim world “must fulfil their obligations to the Palestinians to liberate their land,” Mr Haniyeh said, recounting Mr Raisi’s words.

He also described Mr Raisi calling the October 7 attack that sparked the war, which saw 1,200 people killed and 250 others taken hostage, an “earthquake in the heart of the Zionist entity”.

The war since has seen 35,000 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of others in the West Bank in Israeli operations.

Mourners hold up a posters of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the mam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran
Mourners hold up a posters of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Mam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Mr Raisi, 63, had been discussed as a possible successor for Iran’s supreme leader, the 85-year-old Mr Khamenei.

The only other person suggested was Mr Khamenei’s 55-year-old son, Mr Mojtaba.

However, concerns have been raised over the position going to a family member, particularly after the revolution overthrew the hereditary Pahlavi monarchy of the shah.

Meanwhile, an Iranian official offered a new accounting of Sunday’s crash, further fuelling the theory bad weather led to it.

Gholamhossein Esmaili, who travelled in one of the two other helicopters in Mr Raisi’s entourage, told state TV that weather had been fine when the aircraft took off.

But Mr Raisi’s helicopter disappeared into heavy clouds and the others couldn’t reach the aircraft by radio, forcing them to land at a nearby copper mine.

Neither Mr Amirabdollahian or a bodyguard on board responded to calls, but Tabriz Friday prayer leader Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem somehow answered two mobile phone calls, Mr Esmaili said.

It wasn’t clear why Iran then couldn’t track the phone’s signal.

“When we found the location of the accident, the conditions of the bodies indicated that Ayatollah Raisi and other companions had died instantly but Ale-Hashem… (died) after several hours,” he said.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

A firefighter inspects a nightclub after a massive fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Arrest warrants issued for four people as North Macedonia nightclub fire death toll rises to 59

At least 50 dead after fire rips through nightclub in North Macedonia

At least 50 dead after fire rips through nightclub in North Macedonia

This image made from video by NASA shows astronauts waving after the SpaceX capsule docked with the International Space Station, Sunday, March 16, 2025. Top row from left: Nick Hague, Alexander Gorbunov, Suni Williams, Alexei Ovchinin.

Over the moon: SpaceX capsule docks with ISS as stranded NASA astronauts welcome replacement crew

A view of the pollution caused by garbage and various wastes following the thousands of Palestinians displaced under the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel have returned to the northern Gaza Strip in Jabalia, Gaza on March 13, 2025.

US rejects Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ demands to implement ceasefire as talks reach impasse

The US has launched large strikes in Yemen as Donald Trump promised "overwhelming lethal force" until the Houthis cease attacks on shipping.

US launches strikes on Yemen as Trump promises 'overwhelming lethal force' against Houthis

"I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me," Jones, who also uses the name Samantha Strable, posted on social media.

American influencer apologises after being threatened with deportation for snatching baby wombat from mum

Soccer - International Friendly - Venezuela v Nigeria

England star John Fashanu arrested over 'five crimes' as he sues police for £100,000 compensation

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, right, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore. (NASA via AP)

'Stranded' NASA astronauts set to return from nine month space mission - but what health issues could they face?

Smoke billows from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea, off the Yorkshire coast in England, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Dan Kitwood/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian captain of Solong container ship remanded in custody following crash with US oil tanker

BRITAIN-UKRAINE-DIPLOMACY-POLITICS-DEFENCE

'Coalition of the willing': Starmer hosts Ukraine peace summit as PM urges Putin to 'come to the negotiating table'

Melbourne, Australia. 15th Mar, 2025. Lando Norris of McLaren celebrates taking pole position during Qualifying at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, Saturday, March 15, 2025.

Lando Norris takes pole in Australia GP qualifying - as Lewis Hamilton trails in eighth on Ferrari debut

Merritt Island, Florida, USA. 14th Mar, 2025. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Crew-10 astronauts lifts off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Mar. 14.

SpaceX rocket finally launches to bring two stranded NASA astronauts back to earth after nine months

Vladimir Putin must stop playing games with a ceasefire and come to the table, Sir Keir Starmer said, as he convenes world leaders to discuss peacekeeping in Ukraine

Starmer to host Ukraine peace summit - as he warns Putin to 'stop playing games' with ceasefire and come to table

Donald Trump speaks at the Justice Department

Trump insists peace talks with Russia are going 'really well' despite Putin being accused of 'delaying tactics'

The MV Stena Immaculate tanker after it was hit by the MV Solong container vessel in the North Sea

Captain of container ship Solong which crashed into US oil tanker charged with gross negligence manslaughter

Mark Carney

'It's crazy': Mark Carney says Canada will 'never be 51st US state', as he is sworn in as PM after Trump threats