Iranian presidential election to be held on June 28 after deadly helicopter crash

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) — Iran on Monday declared that it would be holding an early presidential election on June 28 following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

According to state-run news agency IRNA, the announcement of the date for the country's 14th presidential elections came after a meeting between the heads of the judicial, executive and legislative authorities.

Candidate registrations will begin on May 30, the report said, adding that campaigning would take place on June 12-27.

Raisi was returning from the inauguration ceremony of a dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border on Sunday when the crash took place, according to Iranian state broadcasters.

The crash also resulted in the deaths of Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as well as that of Malik Rahmeti, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and Imam Ayatollah Ali Hashim of Tabriz province.

Mohammad Mokhber, Iran's first vice president, was appointed acting president Monday after Raisi's death.