JNS: Iran has announced that its 14th presidential election will be held on June 28, following the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi and several key officials in a helicopter crash. The crash occurred on Sunday, claiming the lives of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of the accompanying team in a dense forest area in East Azerbaijan.
According to the IRNA news agency, Article 131 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran mandates the formation of a council to manage the executive affairs of the country for 50 days and prepare for the presidential elections.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, along with members of the Security Council, expressed their heartfelt condolences to the people and Government of Iran. “The Secretary-General expresses his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” stated Guterres’ spokesperson in New York on Monday.
In a show of solidarity, the Security Council, led by Pedro Comissário Afonso, Permanent Representative of Mozambique and Council President for May, observed a moment of silence at the start of its 9629th meeting.
President Raisi’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, with all cultural events in Iran cancelled during the official mourning period. Additionally, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), led a minute of silence at a conference on nuclear security in Vienna to honor the deceased.
The IAEA has been collaborating with Iranian authorities for years to ensure that Iran’s nuclear activities remain strictly for civilian purposes.
