Flight carrying bodies of Iran Prez Raisi, companions from Tabriz lands in Tehran

Tehran [Iran], May 21 (ANI): The flights carrying the bodies of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials from Tabriz landed in Tehran on Tuesday, Press TV reported.

The Press TV, which is Iran's state-owned news network, in its live telecast today showed the plane reaching Tehran, where further memorial services will be held for Raisi and other Iranian officials.

The bodies are notably transferred to the capital, Tehran for further ceremonies on Wednesday. The funeral of Raisi will be held on May 23 in the Iranian city of Mashhad in the northeast of the country, Vice-President of the Republic, Mohsen Mansouri, announced.

The funeral will be held on Thursday evening at the mausoleum of Imam Reza, he said. The Mausoleum of Imam Reza is located in Mashhad, the hometown of Raisi, a centre of pilgrimage and one of the main shrines of the Shias.

Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem, the head of Friday prayers in Tabriz, is slated to be buried in Tabriz on Thursday, while Malek Rahmati, the governor of East Azarbaijan, will be buried in Maragheh City on the same day, reported the Press TV.

While on its way from a location on Azerbaijan's border, where the Iranian president had inaugurated a significant dam project, to Tabriz, the capital of Iran's East Azerbaijan province, Raisi and his entourage's helicopter crashed on Sunday afternoon.

The chopper wreckage was discovered early on Monday by rescuers following several hours of intensive search operations involving over 70 teams.

Along with crew members and bodyguards, the disaster claimed the lives of Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and two high-ranking provincial officials. Following this, the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has announced five days of national mourning in Iran, according to Press TV.

Khamenei declared the same in a message on Monday and stated that he received the "bitter news" of the death of his "companions with great sorrow."

Following the tragic demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday afternoon, heads of the three branches of the Iranian government have agreed on a date, June 28 for snap presidential elections in the country.

As per Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution, the country's top three officials are mandated to arrange presidential elections within 50 days following the death or incapacitation of the incumbent president, Press TV reported.

A timetable was set for the elections, allowing hopefuls to register from May 30 to June 3, with candidates launching their campaigns for 15 days starting June 12. (ANI)