Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has passed away in a helicopter crash, according to a government announcement made on Monday.

A significant rescue operation was initiated to locate the 63-year-old president and other passengers following the incident. The helicopter, which was also carrying the country's foreign minister, crashed on Sunday while flying over mountainous areas in northwestern Iran.

The helicopter crash occurred after Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian had inaugurated a new dam with Azerbaijan earlier on Sunday. According to Iran's constitution, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is expected to assume Raisi's responsibilities.

Raisi, considered a protégé of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was a hard-line leader who previously headed the judiciary. He was elected president in 2021 with the lowest voter turnout since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979.