Iran sets presidential polls date after Raisi’s death

Iran has scheduled a new presidential election for June 28 following the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter accident.

The registration period for potential candidates has been set from May 30 to June 3, with the campaign period running from June 12 to June 27, as confirmed by top leaders, according to the state news agency IRNA.

According to the Iranian constitution, a presidential election must be held within 50 days of the presidency becoming vacant, mandating the election by June 29.

On Sunday, May 19, President Ebrahim Raisi was visiting a dam construction project jointly built with Azerbaijan in a border region. He was accompanied by Azerbaijan‍‍`s President Ilham Aliyev. After the visit, Raisi and other officials were returning to Tabriz, the capital of Iran‍‍`s East Azerbaijan province, in a convoy of three helicopters.

Tragically, the helicopter carrying President Raisi crashed in a remote mountainous area near Jolfa in East Azerbaijan. The other two helicopters reached their destination safely.