Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, along with the country's foreign minister and several others, were discovered dead on Monday following a helicopter accident in a foggy, mountainous area in the northwest of the country, reported the nation’s state media.

Raisi was 63 years old.

They were returning to the capital Tehran from an event near the Azerbaijani border, where they had participated in the inauguration of a dam project alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

According to Iranian media reports, the helicopter involved in the crash was one of three aircrafts tasked with transporting Iranian officials back from that event.

President Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian had inaugurated the Khoda Afarin and Giz Galasi hydroelectric power plants situated along the Aras River, which delineates the border between Iran and Azerbaijan.

These power plants are situated within the area of the river that spans between the Azerbaijani district of Jabrayil and Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.

Aliyev posted a statement on the X platform saying he was “profoundly troubled” by the crash of Raisi’s helicopter and offering prayers and assistance as a “friend and brotherly country.

As per Iran’s constitution, in the event of the president's death or incapacity, the responsibilities are assumed by the first vice president.

Mohammad Mokhber currently occupies this position and will continue to do so until a new presidential election is conducted within 50 days.

It's important to note that the president's authority is subordinate to that of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who maintains ultimate control over the country's affairs.

Raisi, an ultraconservative Khamenei protege, was seen by some observers as the supreme leader’s preferred successor.

He secured the presidency in the 2021 election, which witnessed the exclusion of his main competitors from the race and recorded the lowest voter turnout in history.