Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were declared deceased on Monday following a helicopter incident on Sunday.

Crash has profound impact on Iran

The world was shocked after getting confirmation on Monday that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have died in a helicopter crash.

The crash is not necessarily related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. So far, Iran is attributing it to adverse weather conditions and mechanical failure. The sudden deaths of the president and foreign minister are significant and unexpected events for Iran. In the short term, the country will likely enter a period of national mourning, halting all formal activities, including diplomatic engagements. Iran is expected to declare a state of emergency.

Chance of 'assassination' slim

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were confirmed dead on Monday, a day after a helicopter carrying them went missing amid bad weather in the East Azerbaijan province on Sunday.

No reason for Israel to escalate confrontation

Given the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East and the enduring feud between Israel and Iran, it is natural for conspiracy theories to arise in the aftermath of the helicopter incident in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were declared dead on Monday.

Security remains prime task for Iran

Ebrahim Raisi, who was sworn in Iranian President in 2021, was considered the most likely successor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 84 years old.

Iran initially identified the accident as a "hard landing incident". Yet the specific cause requires further investigation.

The world will see how the incident will affect Iran's regional security situation.

Iran's foreign policies have been pragmatic and prudent. Since coming to power, Raisi has adopted carrot-and-stick approaches. On the one hand, he tried to avoid direct conflicts with the US and Israel, which was evident in the Israel-Palestine conflict. On the other hand, Raisi actively improved Iran's relations with neighboring countries, including the Iran-Saudi Arabia talks in 2023 under China's mediation.

No matter who or which political faction comes to power, Iran is not likely to change the prior task of creating a secure and stable regional security environment conducive to its economic development by both mild and tough means.