Soldiers carry the coffin of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during his funeral processionImage caption: Soldiers carry the coffin of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during his funeral procession
We're wrapping up today's live page covering President Raisi's funeral procession in Iran.
Thanks for joining us as we followed the events in Tabriz.
Here's a brief recap of what's been happening and what we can expect for the rest of the week:
Thousands of supporters of Raisi poured on to the streets to witness a funeral procession in the city of Tabriz, near where the late president and seven others died in a helicopter crash.
The huge crowds only tell one side of the story as not all Iranians supported the president with many celebrating his death on social media
Raisi's body as well as others who died in the crash will go to the religious city of Qom before continuing to two holy sites
As part of the five days of mourning declared yesterday, tomorrow will be a public holiday and a large funeral will take place in Tehran, Iran's capital, where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenai is expected to lead a prayer
On Thursday, Raisi will be buried in his hometown of Mashhad, with Friday set to be the final day of official mourning
An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way
Elections for a new president are set to take place on 28 June
This page was produced by our team in London with writers Ece Goksedef, Lana Lam and Seher Asaf and input from BBC Persian.
It was edited by Johanna Chisholm and Jack Burgess.
Analysis
Early presidential elections triggered by Ebrahim Raisi’s sudden demise
Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent
Ebrahim Raisi’s sudden demise
has triggered early presidential elections which must be held within 50 days
of his death; they're set to take place on 28 June.
There’s another top position
to fill – his seat on the 88-member Assembly of Experts. Its current members,
all senior clerics, were chosen in March elections for an eight-year term.
They have a critical job - to
select and supervise the Islamic Republic's most powerful person, the Supreme
Leader. And it’s likely to exercise this power since the incumbent Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei is now 85 years old.
Ebrahim Raisi was seen a
leading contender for that top job. Now his replacement on this assembly will
be carefully selected. Even the former reformist president Hassan Rouhani was
disqualified from running in the March elections – an exclusion he is still
protesting.
Today this assembly met for
the first time and chose its chairman - 93-year-old Movahhedi Kermani, a member
since it was first formed in 1983, a few years after Iran’s 1979 revolution.
In pictures: A divided Iran mourns Raisi
We're now seeing some more pictures from this morning's funeral procession in Tabriz, which was held for President Ebrahim Raisi as well as the seven other Iranian officials who died in the helicopter crash.
Thousands of people set off from a central square in the north-western city, walking behind a lorry carrying the coffins of Raisi and those who died with him, including foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Despite the turnout on the streets, not all Iranians supported Raisi, with many celebrating his death on social media.
REX/ShutterstockCopyright: REX/Shutterstock
Large crowds gathered around a lorry which carried the coffinsImage caption: Large crowds gathered around a lorry which carried the coffins
EPACopyright: EPA
Some mourners reached out to touch the coffins as they passedImage caption: Some mourners reached out to touch the coffins as they passed
REX/ShutterstockCopyright: REX/Shutterstock
Analysis
Raisi's Role in the architecture of post-revolution Iran
Omid Montazeri
BBC Persian
EPACopyright: EPA
Ebrahim Raisi's name and role in the architecture of post-revolution Iran are intertwined with two critical periods.
The early post-revolutionary years witnessed shocking
events, such as the end of the eight-year war with Iraq, the elimination of leftist opposition, and the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.
During this period, Ebrahim Raisi was a key member of the committee that surviving political prisoners later referred to in their memoirs and testimonies as the "Death Commission".
Ayatollah Montazeri, the deputy to the then leader of the Islamic
Revolution, called these executions "the most hideous crime in the history
of the Islamic Republic".
By the end of decade, there were no remaining opposition political parties in the country, and Ayatollah Khomeini passed away at the age of 87.
The second pivotal period in Raisi's political life unfolded under Ayatollah Khamenei's leadership.
This time, unlike the 1980s, he emerged on the
political scene by his name, ostensibly combating corruption within the
government.
However, many believed in these actions not as anti-corruption
measures but as political purges against internal factions. He ascended to the
positions of chief justice and later president.
Like in his youth, the middle-aged Raisi reappeared on
the scene, seemingly aiming to forcibly homogenise and consolidate the
government.
Raisi was expected to prepare the government for a smooth transition as the current Supreme Leader was at the age of 85 and he was seen as the most suitable successor.
Yet, he has been killed in a "hard landing" according to the government.
Members of group that chooses future Supreme Leader sworn in
Members of the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body that is responsible for appointing the next Supreme Leader if he dies in the next eight years, held their opening session this morning.
New members of the group - which meet twice a year - were chosen earlier this year in elections that took place at the same time as the country's parliamentary elections in March.
President Raisi was a member of the group and the first deputy chairman of the assembly.
Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, who died in the crash alongside Raisi, was also a member.
This new group will last for eight years and one of its tasks would be to elect the successor of the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Khamenei if he dies in this period.
Before his death in a helicopter crash, 63-year-old Raisi was widely seen as one of the candidates to replace Khamenei.
How Iran's first day of mourning has unfolded so far
EPACopyright: EPA
Yesterday, Iran declared five days of mourning following the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials in a helicopter crash over the weekend.
If you're just joining us, here’s a quick summary of what's been happening today and how the next few days are expected to unfold:
A funeral procession has been taking place in the city of Tabriz today, which is near where the crash occurred in north-western Iran, carrying the caskets of the late President Raisi and others who died in the helicopter crash
Thousands of pro-revolutionary Iranians have been gathering in the streets of Tabriz
However, despite the huge crowds, not all Iranians supported the president - and many have celebrated his death on social media
The bodies are next being taken to the religious city of Qom following the ceremony ın Tabriz
Another procession is planned to begin soon at 16:30 local
time (13:00 GMT), crossing two holy sites in the city - Jamkaran Mosque and
Fatima Masoumeh Shrine
In the next couple of days, the coffins will pass through Iran's capital Tehran and Raisi's hometown of Masshad
An investigation to find out the cause of the helicopter crash is under way, as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces has ordered a "high-ranking committee" to launch it
Iran's government has declared tomorrow as a public holiday and a large funeral is expected to be held in Tehran. An enormous crowd is expected to attend and supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei will lead a prayer
On Thursday, Raisi will be buried during a ceremony in Masshad
Friday marks the final day of the official five days of mourning
Looking ahead, elections have been set to take place in Iran on 28 June to choose a new president
Analysis
Election will be a critical moment for Iran's Supreme Leader
Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent
The Islamic
Republic’s next chapter unfolds. It’s a moment for Iran’s ruling conservatives,
who now dominate all elected and unelected bodies to consolidate their hold.
Funeral processions now unfolding
are ceremonies to express sorrow. But also to project strength.
And
preparations are underway for new elections on 28 June.
The
Guardian Council, which scrutinises candidates, is expected to replicate the
2021 polls which brought Ebrahim Raisi to power – all reformist, even some
conservative candidates, were barred from running.
There was a record low
turnout in a country which once prided itself on a strong enthusiastic showing
from voters.
For Iran’s
most powerful, including the 85-year-old Supreme Leader, and the Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps, this moment is too critical to take any chances.
The process to choose a new president also prepares the ground for the future choice
of a new supreme leader – the transition which matters above all else.
Russian FM Lavrov blames US sanctions for the helicopter crash
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Some more lines now from that trade summit in Kazakhstan, where we've just heard from Russia’s foreign minister.
While speaking about the helicopter crash that killed the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Sergei Lavrov has blamed US sanctions against Iran for causing aviation safety issues inside the country.
“By implementing the sanctions that include a ban on supplies of service parts for the US-made aviation products put people's lives at risk,” Lavrov said during a visit to Kazakhstan for a trade summit.
“The Americans disown this, but the truth is that other countries against which the United States announced sanctions do not receive spare parts for American-made equipment, including aviation.”
According to Iranian media, Raisi was travelling in a US-made Bell 212 helicopter before it crashed into a mountain peak. An investigation is under way in Iran to find out the cause.
Decades of sanctions by the US and some other major suppliers have made it hard for Iran to obtain parts or upgrade its aircraft fleet.
Iran's allies pay tribute to Raisi at trade summit
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in AstanaImage caption: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana
Moving about 1,000 miles (1,600km) north-east to Kazakhstan, government officials from Russia, China, India and Pakistan have recently paid tribute to the late Iranian president by observing a minute's silence at the start of a China-led trade summit.
Foreign ministers and diplomats from about a dozen of Iran's political and economic partners are meeting in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
"Despite these difficult times, Iranian representatives are taking part in this ministerial council for the first time," Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has said, according to AFP.
The regional bloc - which Iran joined last year - is designed to boost relations, trade and investment between among its members, primarily with four Central Asian republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Beijing and Moscow are close allies of Tehran and in the immediate aftermath of the crash, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi went on to claim that his country had assisted with the search and rescue efforts while Russia has offered to help investigate the cause of the crash, which remains unclear.
The funeral procession, which began in Tabriz this morning, drew a crowd of thousandsImage caption: The funeral procession, which began in Tabriz this morning, drew a crowd of thousands
The caskets of Iran's president and fellow passengers who died on the
crashed helicopter are now being transferred from north-western city of Tabriz
to the northern city of Qom, which is considered the second most sacred city in
Iran after Mashhad.
Another procession is planned to begin at 16:30 local time (13:00
GMT), crossing two holy sites in the city - Jamkaran Mosque and Fatima
Masoumeh Shrine.
Outside of its religious significance, the city is also where the late Iranian leader studied at the Islamic Seminary of Qom, where he learnt the Islamic Jurisprudence.
State media are reporting that the bodies will be carried around the shrine.
The bodies will then be taken to the capital, Tehran, where
there is a ceremony planned at 20:00 local time (16:00 GMT) today at the Grand
Mosalla mosque of Tehran.
As we mentioned earlier, the Supreme Leader Khamenei is expected to lead congregational
prayers for Raisi in the capital tomorrow, while the burial will be held in the north-eastern city
of Mashhad, in the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam on Thursday.
What about the investigation into the crash?
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
The details of what caused Sunday's crash, which killed President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six other people, remain unclear.
Officials in Iran have been saying that the helicopter was forced to make a hard landing due to "bad weather conditions and fog in the area".
Iran also has an ageing fleet of aircraft, due to years of sanctions imposed on the country. There have been a series of accidents involving aircraft in the country.
Iranian state media is reporting that the chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces Maj Gen Mohammad Hossein Bagheri has ordered a "high-ranking committee" to launch an investigation.
That delegation is reported to be at the scene of the crash site in the northern province of East Azerbaijan.
Russian and Iranian state media is also reporting that Russia has offered to help in the investigation.
Last night, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the US had "no insights into the cause of the accident".
What we know about the fatal helicopter crash
.Copyright: .
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was travelling with seven other people, including the foreign minister on Sunday.
Raisi was in the far north-west of Iran to ceremoniously open two hydroelectric dams, and had departed south for the city of Tabriz when the helicopter went down.
At around 13:30 local time, while flying over a remote, mountainous area in heavy fog and rain, the aircraft was “forced to make a hard landing" due to the weather, the interior minister said.
Two people on the helicopter made contact following the crash, including Ayatollah Al-e Hashem, who spoke to the president’s office before he died.
At 05:00 local time on Monday morning, rescuers spotted the wreckage, but found “no signs of life”, the Iranian Red Crescent said.
Iranian authorities have so far not given a cause for the crash.
How are other countries in the region mourning Raisi's death?
AFPCopyright: AFP
Lebanon's national flag flies at half-mast on the government palace building in BeirutImage caption: Lebanon's national flag flies at half-mast on the government palace building in Beirut
Zooming out of Tabriz for a moment, let's take a look at how the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is being commemorated elsewhere in the region.
Lebanon and Syria, some of Tehran's closest allies, have declared three days of mourning for Raisi and the Iranian foreign minister, Amir Abdollahian, who was killed in the same helicopter crash.
Iraq, a neighbouring country who has very close ties to Iran, has also declared a day of national mourning. Commemorative events in the Shia-majority regions of Iraq and road closures are expected today in the country.
Pakistan, India and Turkey are also observing one day of national mourning as a show of respect to the Iranian president.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Turkish flags are flying half mast in Istanbul for the national day of mourning after Raisi's deathImage caption: Turkish flags are flying half mast in Istanbul for the national day of mourning after Raisi's death
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Religious clerics offer condolences over the deaths of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and others in Najaf, IraqImage caption: Religious clerics offer condolences over the deaths of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and others in Najaf, Iraq
In pictures: Funeral ceremony in Tabriz
We can now bring you some more images from the scene in Tabriz, where the funeral procession for Iranian President Raisi has been under way since earlier this morning.
While thousands appear to be gathering in the streets today to commemorate the late Iranian leader, this does not represent the entirety of Iranian public opinion, as many also took to social media to express their excitement over his death in recent days.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Watch: Mourners gather around caskets of crash victims
As the funeral rites continue in Tabriz this morning, mourners and pro-establishment Iranians have been coming to pay their respects for the late president Ebrahim Raisi.
Video footage of this morning's procession shows thousands gathering in the streets of the north-western city, with many seen waving Iranian flags and portraits of the late president.
Video content
Video caption: Iran: Mourners gather around President Raisi's casket in funeral processionIran: Mourners gather around President Raisi's casket in funeral procession
Judiciary pledges crackdown on online 'insults' against Raisi
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Iranian newspapers with pictures of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are laid out in TehranImage caption: Iranian newspapers with pictures of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are laid out in Tehran
Iranian Prosecutor General Mohammad Kazem Movahhedi Azad has ordered a crackdown on online users who publish "insults" against the late president and others who died in the helicopter crash.
Azad began calling for the arrests on Monday, shortly after President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead.
While pro-establishment users have been sharing messages of mourning on social media, dissenting voices online are emphasising Raisi's alleged involvement in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s and the violent suppression of anti-government protests, with some expressing joy over his death.
Shortly after the news of the helicopter crash began to be reported on Sunday night, some online users began sharing videos of fireworks in Iran, seeming to celebrate the president's death before it had been confirmed.
Others took to social media to cheer on the rescue team facing difficult conditions while searching for the crash site.
How is Iran's government structured?
As mentioned in our previous post, the death of President Raisi has only intensified interest in who will take over from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei - who has been Iran's head of state since 1989.
In case you need a reminder, here's how Iran's government is structured.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Khamenei also has authority over the police and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) - which is responsible for national security - and its volunteer wing, the Basij Resistance Force.
The president is the top elected official and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the government, and also has influence over domestic policy and foreign affairs.
Meanwhile, the president's interior ministry runs the national police force, but its commander is appointed and answerable to the supreme leader. The Guardian Council approves new laws and can veto them.
What next for Iran after President Raisi's death?
Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash on Sunday has upended the growing speculation over who will eventually replace the 85-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose own health has long been the focus of intense interest.
“The system will make a massive show of his death and stick to constitutional procedures to show functionality, while it seeks a new recruit who can maintain conservative unity and loyalty to Khamenei,” observes Dr Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the Chatham House think tank.
Whoever assumes Raisi’s mantle inherits a forbidding agenda and limited levers of power.
Ultimate decision-making authority in the Islamic Republic lies with the Supreme Leader.
Foreign policy, especially in the region, is the preserve of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who wield growing power.
Pro-establishment officials encourage Iranians to gather in Tabriz
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Monitoring
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Among the notable officials attending the funeral ceremony being held in Tabriz today are people like Ahmad Vahidi, the interior minister of
Iran.
In a speech broadcast live by Iranian state TV, he has said that if this incident happened in
any other country, it would have faced a very "bleak future". But, he says, with the "reliving" existence of the Supreme Leader Ayatolah Ali
Khamenei, Iran will "move through this event smoothly".
The turnout of pro-establishment Iranians
seems to be high in the north-western city this morning.
Some of those pro-establishment users have taken to social media and have begun resharing the plans for the funeral and burial ceremonies across Iran.
This promotion is
nothing new, and it’s a repeated pattern as the state media and officials have
been organising and promoting these pro-establishment demonstrations and
rallies throughout the years.
As a reminder, the government has also declared Wednesday as a public
holiday when a large funeral is expected to be held in Tehran with the Supreme Leader leading a prayer in the capital.
People in Tehran were sent text messages
yesterday inviting them to participate in the upcoming funerals.
President Ebrahim Raisi's mixed legacy in Iran
Jiyar Gol
BBC Persian
AFPCopyright: AFP
As we begin to see images of the crowds turning out to pay their respects to President Ebrahim Raisi, it's worth remembering that he was indeed loved by hardliners of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
However, he was equally hated by many Iranians for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in the 1980s, and his more than four-decade involvement in the security and judicial systems which suppress opponents of the Islamic regime.
In the 1980s, Raisi was appointed to be a member of a committee that dealt with political prisoners.
More than 5,000 political prisoners were executed by this committee. Relatives of those executed long held onto hope that Raisi would one day face justice.
Now this will never be possible.
His supporters would point to Iranian state media's depiction of Raisi as the president of the unprivileged and poor.
Under his leadership, there was some reform in processing a backlog of court cases, and relatives of some officials were arrested for corruption and bribery.
Despite this, the economic situation in Iran worsened and hardliners imposed harsher restrictions on freedom of speech, as well as a stricter dress code on women.
Live Reporting
Edited by Johanna Chisholm and Jack Burgess
All times stated are UK
WANA/ReutersCopyright: WANA/Reuters Soldiers carry the coffin of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during his funeral processionImage caption: Soldiers carry the coffin of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during his funeral procession - Thousands of supporters of Raisi poured on to the streets to witness a funeral procession in the city of Tabriz, near where the late president and seven others died in a helicopter crash.
-
The huge crowds only tell one side of the story as not all Iranians supported the president with many celebrating his death on social media
-
Raisi's body as well as others who died in the crash will go to the religious city of Qom before continuing to two holy sites
-
As part of the five days of mourning declared yesterday, tomorrow will be a public holiday and a large funeral will take place in Tehran, Iran's capital, where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenai is expected to lead a prayer
-
On Thursday, Raisi will be buried in his hometown of Mashhad, with Friday set to be the final day of official mourning
-
An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way
- Elections for a new president are set to take place on 28 June
Analysis
REX/ShutterstockCopyright: REX/Shutterstock Large crowds gathered around a lorry which carried the coffinsImage caption: Large crowds gathered around a lorry which carried the coffins 
EPACopyright: EPA Some mourners reached out to touch the coffins as they passedImage caption: Some mourners reached out to touch the coffins as they passed 
REX/ShutterstockCopyright: REX/Shutterstock Analysis
EPACopyright: EPA 
EPACopyright: EPA -
A funeral procession has been taking place in the city of Tabriz today, which is near where the crash occurred in north-western Iran, carrying the caskets of the late President Raisi and others who died in the helicopter crash
-
Thousands of pro-revolutionary Iranians have been gathering in the streets of Tabriz
-
However, despite the huge crowds, not all Iranians supported the president - and many have celebrated his death on social media
-
The bodies are next being taken to the religious city of Qom following the ceremony ın Tabriz
-
Another procession is planned to begin soon at 16:30 local
time (13:00 GMT), crossing two holy sites in the city - Jamkaran Mosque and
Fatima Masoumeh Shrine
-
In the next couple of days, the coffins will pass through Iran's capital Tehran and Raisi's hometown of Masshad
-
An investigation to find out the cause of the helicopter crash is under way, as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces has ordered a "high-ranking committee" to launch it
-
Iran's government has declared tomorrow as a public holiday and a large funeral is expected to be held in Tehran. An enormous crowd is expected to attend and supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei will lead a prayer
-
On Thursday, Raisi will be buried during a ceremony in Masshad
-
Friday marks the final day of the official five days of mourning
-
Looking ahead, elections have been set to take place in Iran on 28 June to choose a new president
Analysis
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in AstanaImage caption: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana 
'IRANIAN PRESIDENCY / HANDOUT/Getty ImagesCopyright: 'IRANIAN PRESIDENCY / HANDOUT/Getty Images The funeral procession, which began in Tabriz this morning, drew a crowd of thousandsImage caption: The funeral procession, which began in Tabriz this morning, drew a crowd of thousands 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
.Copyright: . 
AFPCopyright: AFP Lebanon's national flag flies at half-mast on the government palace building in BeirutImage caption: Lebanon's national flag flies at half-mast on the government palace building in Beirut 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Turkish flags are flying half mast in Istanbul for the national day of mourning after Raisi's deathImage caption: Turkish flags are flying half mast in Istanbul for the national day of mourning after Raisi's death 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Religious clerics offer condolences over the deaths of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and others in Najaf, IraqImage caption: Religious clerics offer condolences over the deaths of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and others in Najaf, Iraq 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Video caption: Iran: Mourners gather around President Raisi's casket in funeral processionIran: Mourners gather around President Raisi's casket in funeral procession 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Iranian newspapers with pictures of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are laid out in TehranImage caption: Iranian newspapers with pictures of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are laid out in Tehran 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images -
You can read the full in-depth analysis here.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
AFPCopyright: AFP -
You can read the whole story here.
Latest PostWe're about to pause today's live page
Jack Burgess
Live editor
We're wrapping up today's live page covering President Raisi's funeral procession in Iran.
Thanks for joining us as we followed the events in Tabriz.
Here's a brief recap of what's been happening and what we can expect for the rest of the week:
You can carry on reading here with our explainer: What we know about deadly Iran helicopter crash
And also our latest stories:
Raisi's death leaves Iranians with mixed feelings
What next for Iran after President Raisi's death?
This page was produced by our team in London with writers Ece Goksedef, Lana Lam and Seher Asaf and input from BBC Persian.
It was edited by Johanna Chisholm and Jack Burgess.
Early presidential elections triggered by Ebrahim Raisi’s sudden demise
Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent
Ebrahim Raisi’s sudden demise has triggered early presidential elections which must be held within 50 days of his death; they're set to take place on 28 June.
There’s another top position to fill – his seat on the 88-member Assembly of Experts. Its current members, all senior clerics, were chosen in March elections for an eight-year term.
They have a critical job - to select and supervise the Islamic Republic's most powerful person, the Supreme Leader. And it’s likely to exercise this power since the incumbent Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is now 85 years old.
Ebrahim Raisi was seen a leading contender for that top job. Now his replacement on this assembly will be carefully selected. Even the former reformist president Hassan Rouhani was disqualified from running in the March elections – an exclusion he is still protesting.
Today this assembly met for the first time and chose its chairman - 93-year-old Movahhedi Kermani, a member since it was first formed in 1983, a few years after Iran’s 1979 revolution.
In pictures: A divided Iran mourns Raisi
We're now seeing some more pictures from this morning's funeral procession in Tabriz, which was held for President Ebrahim Raisi as well as the seven other Iranian officials who died in the helicopter crash.
Thousands of people set off from a central square in the north-western city, walking behind a lorry carrying the coffins of Raisi and those who died with him, including foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Despite the turnout on the streets, not all Iranians supported Raisi, with many celebrating his death on social media.
Raisi's Role in the architecture of post-revolution Iran
Omid Montazeri
BBC Persian
Ebrahim Raisi's name and role in the architecture of post-revolution Iran are intertwined with two critical periods.
The early post-revolutionary years witnessed shocking events, such as the end of the eight-year war with Iraq, the elimination of leftist opposition, and the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.
During this period, Ebrahim Raisi was a key member of the committee that surviving political prisoners later referred to in their memoirs and testimonies as the "Death Commission".
Ayatollah Montazeri, the deputy to the then leader of the Islamic Revolution, called these executions "the most hideous crime in the history of the Islamic Republic".
By the end of decade, there were no remaining opposition political parties in the country, and Ayatollah Khomeini passed away at the age of 87.
The second pivotal period in Raisi's political life unfolded under Ayatollah Khamenei's leadership.
This time, unlike the 1980s, he emerged on the political scene by his name, ostensibly combating corruption within the government.
However, many believed in these actions not as anti-corruption measures but as political purges against internal factions. He ascended to the positions of chief justice and later president.
Like in his youth, the middle-aged Raisi reappeared on the scene, seemingly aiming to forcibly homogenise and consolidate the government.
Raisi was expected to prepare the government for a smooth transition as the current Supreme Leader was at the age of 85 and he was seen as the most suitable successor.
Yet, he has been killed in a "hard landing" according to the government.
Members of group that chooses future Supreme Leader sworn in
Members of the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body that is responsible for appointing the next Supreme Leader if he dies in the next eight years, held their opening session this morning.
New members of the group - which meet twice a year - were chosen earlier this year in elections that took place at the same time as the country's parliamentary elections in March.
President Raisi was a member of the group and the first deputy chairman of the assembly.
Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, who died in the crash alongside Raisi, was also a member.
This new group will last for eight years and one of its tasks would be to elect the successor of the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Khamenei if he dies in this period.
Before his death in a helicopter crash, 63-year-old Raisi was widely seen as one of the candidates to replace Khamenei.
How Iran's first day of mourning has unfolded so far
Yesterday, Iran declared five days of mourning following the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials in a helicopter crash over the weekend.
If you're just joining us, here’s a quick summary of what's been happening today and how the next few days are expected to unfold:
Election will be a critical moment for Iran's Supreme Leader
Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent
The Islamic Republic’s next chapter unfolds. It’s a moment for Iran’s ruling conservatives, who now dominate all elected and unelected bodies to consolidate their hold.
Funeral processions now unfolding are ceremonies to express sorrow. But also to project strength.
And preparations are underway for new elections on 28 June.
The Guardian Council, which scrutinises candidates, is expected to replicate the 2021 polls which brought Ebrahim Raisi to power – all reformist, even some conservative candidates, were barred from running.
There was a record low turnout in a country which once prided itself on a strong enthusiastic showing from voters.
For Iran’s most powerful, including the 85-year-old Supreme Leader, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, this moment is too critical to take any chances.
The process to choose a new president also prepares the ground for the future choice of a new supreme leader – the transition which matters above all else.
Russian FM Lavrov blames US sanctions for the helicopter crash
Some more lines now from that trade summit in Kazakhstan, where we've just heard from Russia’s foreign minister.
While speaking about the helicopter crash that killed the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Sergei Lavrov has blamed US sanctions against Iran for causing aviation safety issues inside the country.
“By implementing the sanctions that include a ban on supplies of service parts for the US-made aviation products put people's lives at risk,” Lavrov said during a visit to Kazakhstan for a trade summit.
“The Americans disown this, but the truth is that other countries against which the United States announced sanctions do not receive spare parts for American-made equipment, including aviation.”
According to Iranian media, Raisi was travelling in a US-made Bell 212 helicopter before it crashed into a mountain peak. An investigation is under way in Iran to find out the cause.
Decades of sanctions by the US and some other major suppliers have made it hard for Iran to obtain parts or upgrade its aircraft fleet.
Iran's allies pay tribute to Raisi at trade summit
Moving about 1,000 miles (1,600km) north-east to Kazakhstan, government officials from Russia, China, India and Pakistan have recently paid tribute to the late Iranian president by observing a minute's silence at the start of a China-led trade summit.
Foreign ministers and diplomats from about a dozen of Iran's political and economic partners are meeting in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
"Despite these difficult times, Iranian representatives are taking part in this ministerial council for the first time," Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has said, according to AFP.
The regional bloc - which Iran joined last year - is designed to boost relations, trade and investment between among its members, primarily with four Central Asian republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Beijing and Moscow are close allies of Tehran and in the immediate aftermath of the crash, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi went on to claim that his country had assisted with the search and rescue efforts while Russia has offered to help investigate the cause of the crash, which remains unclear.
Funeral procession moves to Qom
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Monitoring
The caskets of Iran's president and fellow passengers who died on the crashed helicopter are now being transferred from north-western city of Tabriz to the northern city of Qom, which is considered the second most sacred city in Iran after Mashhad.
Another procession is planned to begin at 16:30 local time (13:00 GMT), crossing two holy sites in the city - Jamkaran Mosque and Fatima Masoumeh Shrine.
Outside of its religious significance, the city is also where the late Iranian leader studied at the Islamic Seminary of Qom, where he learnt the Islamic Jurisprudence.
State media are reporting that the bodies will be carried around the shrine.
The bodies will then be taken to the capital, Tehran, where there is a ceremony planned at 20:00 local time (16:00 GMT) today at the Grand Mosalla mosque of Tehran.
As we mentioned earlier, the Supreme Leader Khamenei is expected to lead congregational prayers for Raisi in the capital tomorrow, while the burial will be held in the north-eastern city of Mashhad, in the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam on Thursday.
What about the investigation into the crash?
The details of what caused Sunday's crash, which killed President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six other people, remain unclear.
Officials in Iran have been saying that the helicopter was forced to make a hard landing due to "bad weather conditions and fog in the area".
Iran also has an ageing fleet of aircraft, due to years of sanctions imposed on the country. There have been a series of accidents involving aircraft in the country.
Iranian state media is reporting that the chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces Maj Gen Mohammad Hossein Bagheri has ordered a "high-ranking committee" to launch an investigation.
That delegation is reported to be at the scene of the crash site in the northern province of East Azerbaijan.
Russian and Iranian state media is also reporting that Russia has offered to help in the investigation.
Last night, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the US had "no insights into the cause of the accident".
What we know about the fatal helicopter crash
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was travelling with seven other people, including the foreign minister on Sunday.
Raisi was in the far north-west of Iran to ceremoniously open two hydroelectric dams, and had departed south for the city of Tabriz when the helicopter went down.
At around 13:30 local time, while flying over a remote, mountainous area in heavy fog and rain, the aircraft was “forced to make a hard landing" due to the weather, the interior minister said.
Two people on the helicopter made contact following the crash, including Ayatollah Al-e Hashem, who spoke to the president’s office before he died.
At 05:00 local time on Monday morning, rescuers spotted the wreckage, but found “no signs of life”, the Iranian Red Crescent said.
Iranian authorities have so far not given a cause for the crash.
How are other countries in the region mourning Raisi's death?
Zooming out of Tabriz for a moment, let's take a look at how the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is being commemorated elsewhere in the region.
Lebanon and Syria, some of Tehran's closest allies, have declared three days of mourning for Raisi and the Iranian foreign minister, Amir Abdollahian, who was killed in the same helicopter crash.
Iraq, a neighbouring country who has very close ties to Iran, has also declared a day of national mourning. Commemorative events in the Shia-majority regions of Iraq and road closures are expected today in the country.
Pakistan, India and Turkey are also observing one day of national mourning as a show of respect to the Iranian president.
In pictures: Funeral ceremony in Tabriz
We can now bring you some more images from the scene in Tabriz, where the funeral procession for Iranian President Raisi has been under way since earlier this morning.
While thousands appear to be gathering in the streets today to commemorate the late Iranian leader, this does not represent the entirety of Iranian public opinion, as many also took to social media to express their excitement over his death in recent days.
Watch: Mourners gather around caskets of crash victims
As the funeral rites continue in Tabriz this morning, mourners and pro-establishment Iranians have been coming to pay their respects for the late president Ebrahim Raisi.
Video footage of this morning's procession shows thousands gathering in the streets of the north-western city, with many seen waving Iranian flags and portraits of the late president.
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Judiciary pledges crackdown on online 'insults' against Raisi
Iranian Prosecutor General Mohammad Kazem Movahhedi Azad has ordered a crackdown on online users who publish "insults" against the late president and others who died in the helicopter crash.
Azad began calling for the arrests on Monday, shortly after President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead.
While pro-establishment users have been sharing messages of mourning on social media, dissenting voices online are emphasising Raisi's alleged involvement in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s and the violent suppression of anti-government protests, with some expressing joy over his death.
Shortly after the news of the helicopter crash began to be reported on Sunday night, some online users began sharing videos of fireworks in Iran, seeming to celebrate the president's death before it had been confirmed.
Others took to social media to cheer on the rescue team facing difficult conditions while searching for the crash site.
How is Iran's government structured?
As mentioned in our previous post, the death of President Raisi has only intensified interest in who will take over from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei - who has been Iran's head of state since 1989.
In case you need a reminder, here's how Iran's government is structured.
Khamenei also has authority over the police and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) - which is responsible for national security - and its volunteer wing, the Basij Resistance Force.
The president is the top elected official and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the government, and also has influence over domestic policy and foreign affairs.
Meanwhile, the president's interior ministry runs the national police force, but its commander is appointed and answerable to the supreme leader. The Guardian Council approves new laws and can veto them.
What next for Iran after President Raisi's death?
Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent
Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash on Sunday has upended the growing speculation over who will eventually replace the 85-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose own health has long been the focus of intense interest.
“The system will make a massive show of his death and stick to constitutional procedures to show functionality, while it seeks a new recruit who can maintain conservative unity and loyalty to Khamenei,” observes Dr Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the Chatham House think tank.
Whoever assumes Raisi’s mantle inherits a forbidding agenda and limited levers of power.
Ultimate decision-making authority in the Islamic Republic lies with the Supreme Leader.
Foreign policy, especially in the region, is the preserve of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who wield growing power.
Pro-establishment officials encourage Iranians to gather in Tabriz
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
BBC Monitoring
Among the notable officials attending the funeral ceremony being held in Tabriz today are people like Ahmad Vahidi, the interior minister of Iran.
In a speech broadcast live by Iranian state TV, he has said that if this incident happened in any other country, it would have faced a very "bleak future". But, he says, with the "reliving" existence of the Supreme Leader Ayatolah Ali Khamenei, Iran will "move through this event smoothly".
The turnout of pro-establishment Iranians seems to be high in the north-western city this morning.
Some of those pro-establishment users have taken to social media and have begun resharing the plans for the funeral and burial ceremonies across Iran.
This promotion is nothing new, and it’s a repeated pattern as the state media and officials have been organising and promoting these pro-establishment demonstrations and rallies throughout the years.
As a reminder, the government has also declared Wednesday as a public holiday when a large funeral is expected to be held in Tehran with the Supreme Leader leading a prayer in the capital.
People in Tehran were sent text messages yesterday inviting them to participate in the upcoming funerals.
President Ebrahim Raisi's mixed legacy in Iran
Jiyar Gol
BBC Persian
As we begin to see images of the crowds turning out to pay their respects to President Ebrahim Raisi, it's worth remembering that he was indeed loved by hardliners of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
However, he was equally hated by many Iranians for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in the 1980s, and his more than four-decade involvement in the security and judicial systems which suppress opponents of the Islamic regime.
In the 1980s, Raisi was appointed to be a member of a committee that dealt with political prisoners.
More than 5,000 political prisoners were executed by this committee. Relatives of those executed long held onto hope that Raisi would one day face justice.
Now this will never be possible.
His supporters would point to Iranian state media's depiction of Raisi as the president of the unprivileged and poor.
Under his leadership, there was some reform in processing a backlog of court cases, and relatives of some officials were arrested for corruption and bribery.
Despite this, the economic situation in Iran worsened and hardliners imposed harsher restrictions on freedom of speech, as well as a stricter dress code on women.