Thousands of mourners line the streets for funeral of ‘Butcher of Tehran’

Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets for the funeral of President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last weekend.

The procession has brought the northern city of Tabriz to a standstill as mourners gather in vast crowds to pay their respects.

Raisi was killed alongside his foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian after their helicopter came down among mountains near Iran’s border with Azerbaijan on Sunday afternoon.

The president’s death was met with celebrations by some Iranians who remembered him for his role in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 and for the brutal crushing of a women-led protest movement in 2022.

But the scenes in Tabriz, located south-east of the crash site, demonstrate the strength of support for the 63-year-old.

Tightly packed marchers were seen carrying placards with Raisi’s image beside the faces of the other victims.

They parted to make way for a truck adorned in Iranian flags, which was carrying the nine coffins of Raisi, Amirabdollahian, and the others who died in the crash.

The caskets and roof of the vehicle were covered in flowers, and mourners stretched out their hands as they passed by to try and touch it.

A vast crowd of supporters filed behind the truck carrying the coffins (Picture: Iran Press/AFP via Getty Images)

No official cause has yet been provided for the helicopter crash on Sunday, though it happened after a sudden bout of thick fog descended in the region.

Iran has also not suggested any sabotage was to blame for the incident.

However, a former Iranian foreign minister suggested the US was partially responsible due to its extensive sanctions.

Mohammad Javad Zarif told the Associated Press: ‘One of the main culprits of yesterday’s tragedy is the United States, which… embargoed the sale of aircraft and aviation parts to [Iran] and does not allow the people of [Iran] to enjoy good aviation facilities.’

A woman weeps in central Tehran after hearing news of the president’s death (Picture: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

Ebrahim Raisi was elected in 2021 (Picture: Iranian Presidency/AFP via Getty Images)

A new presidential election must be held within 50 days of Raisi’s death, according to a provision in the country’s constitution.

It will be organised by the new acting president, Mohammad Mokhber, as well as the speaker of the parliament and the head of the judiciary.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei may clear the path to get his chosen pick in the top job, as he had done for Raisi’s election in 2021 – though no clear candidate has yet emerged.

Among the world leaders offering condolences for the late leader were China’s Xi Jinping, Syrian President Bashar Assad and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a statement released by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Raisi was ‘a true friend of Russia’.

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