Nat’l Public Holiday Announced for Day of Mourning after Iran President’s Martyrdom


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran declared a national public holiday for a day of mourning after the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and a number of others in a helicopter crash.

Wednesday, May 22, will be a national public holiday, said Mohsen Mansouri, who heads the committee set up for the funeral of those killed in the tragic crash.

He noted that the funeral for the martyrs will be held in the capital Tehran on Wednesday morning.

The fatal accident happened on Sunday afternoon as the president and his entourage were returning from Khoda Afarin region in Iran’s northwestern province of East Azarbaijan after inaugurating a dam at the common border with the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The crash killed President Raisi, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, Friday prayers leader of Tabriz Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem, Governor of East Azarbaijan Malek Rahmati, and members of the president’s security team and the crew.