Funeral procession begins for President Raisi: Thousands Mourn as Officials are Rocked by Citizens Celebrating the Butcher of Tehran's death

People attend funeral ceremony, held for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his senior officials died in a helicopter crash, in Tabriz, Iran on May 21, 2024

The funeral procession for Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi began this morning, less than 48 hours after his helicopter crashed into a mountainside in the northwest. Thousands of mourners packed the streets of Tabriz, flanked by heavily armed guards, as officials delivered speeches and prayers for the fallen president.

A white truck carrying the coffins of Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and seven others who perished in the crash moved through the crowd. The open truck bed displayed the flower-adorned coffins, prompting mourners to run alongside in a desperate attempt to touch them, only to be pushed away by stern-faced guards.

The bed of the truck was wide open to display the coffins which were adorned with images of the dead and covered in flowers

Raisi's body will be flown to Qom later today and then to Tehran for processions on Wednesday. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will lead prayers before Raisi's body is taken to his home city of Mashhad for burial on Thursday evening. Khamenei declared a five-day mourning period, but many Iranians at home and abroad celebrated Raisi's death, flooding social media with footage of revellers.

Mourners scramble to touch the coffins of the dead

Raisi, known as 'the Butcher of Tehran' for his role in the executions of thousands of political prisoners, was confirmed dead along with Abdollahian, the Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, and Tabriz's Friday prayer Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem. Two pilots and three other officials and security guards also died in the crash.

The helicopter, a US-made Bell 212, crashed on landing. Poor weather conditions were cited, but Iranian aircraft, especially Western models, are notoriously unsafe due to sanctions limiting access to spare parts. A new presidential election will be called within 50 days, likely triggering a power struggle.

The procession makes its way down a main road in Tabriz

Many Iranians celebrated Raisi's death. The daughters of Minoo Majidi, killed during protests following Mahsa Amini's death, shared a video raising a glass to Raisi's demise. Other videos showed people setting off fireworks in Tehran and waving flags in London.

Raisi, president since 2021, was a loyal vassal to Khamenei. His hardline policies, including stricter enforcement of the 'hijab and chastity law,' led to the arrest and death of Mahsa Amini, sparking mass protests. His death marks a significant moment in Iran's turbulent political landscape.