TEHRAN – Funeral rites for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other state officials, killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, will start on Tuesday in the northwestern city of Tabriz.

Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri informed reporters on Monday that the funeral arrangements for president Raisi have been meticulously organized across several cities in Iran. 

Mansouri confirmed that funeral processions will be held in Tabriz, Qom, Tehran, Birjand, and Mashhad to honor the revered president.

“To ensure the seamless execution of these ceremonies, a committee has been established to oversee the logistics and planning involved. Decisions regarding the arrangements have been swiftly made to facilitate dignified farewells for president Raisi and the other victims of the tragic accident,” he noted.

Funeral rites for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other state officials will start on Tuesday in the northwestern city of Tabriz and then the bodies will be transported to Qom, where, starting from 4 p.m., a procession and commemoration ceremony will begin at the Fatima Masoumeh shrine.

“In Tehran, the funeral procession for the martyrs is scheduled for Wednesday morning, commencing at 9:30 a.m. from Martyrs' Square to Imam Khomeini's Grand Mosalla. Following this procession, the bodies will be conveyed to Imam Khomeini's Grand Mosalla, where a solemn farewell ceremony will be held as night falls,” Mansouri added.

It was announced that the funeral prayers for the respected martyrs will be conducted on Wednesday by the Leader of Islamic Revolution at Tehran. 

According to Mansouri, the culmination of the funeral proceedings will occur on Friday night at the holy shrine of Imam Reza located at Mashhad, where Ayatollah Raisi will be laid to rest in a burial ceremony. Prior to this, on Friday morning, a funeral procession will be conducted in South Khorasan Province, after which the bodies will be transported to Mashhad for the final ceremonies and burials.

The Friday Prayer Leader of Tabriz will also be buried in Tabriz on Friday, while the governor of East Azerbaijan will be laid to rest in Maragheh on the same day.

A helicopter carrying Iranian President crashed in Iran’s province of East Azerbaijan on May 19. Iran’s top diplomat Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Governor of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati, and Friday Prayer Leader of Tabriz Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem were also on board.

Following more than 15 hours of intensive search and rescue efforts, the bodies of the officials and cabin crew were discovered by search teams.

Head of the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran Pir Hossein Kolivand declared all passengers and crew of Raisi's helicopter dead. 

Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed to assume interim duties after the death of the president.

Mokhber will work with the heads of Iran's legislature and judiciary to prepare for a presidential election within 50 days - a period of time set out in Iran's constitution for replacing a president who dies in office.

Iran's cabinet has also appointed deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani as acting foreign minister.