Iran government says will operate 'without disruption' after Raisi death

The Iranian government will continue to operate "without the slightest disruption" following the death of president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, said a cabinet statement on Monday.

"We assure the loyal nation that the path of service will continue with the tireless spirit of Ayatollah Raisi," said the statement, stressing that the government's work will continue "without the slightest disruption".

Iranian media reported on Monday that Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had died in a helicopter crash in the northeast of the country on Sunday evening.

Reuters cited an Iranian official confirming that President Raisi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were killed in the helicopter crash.

Iranian media indicated that an official announcement regarding the deaths of the president and his companions would be made shortly.

On Monday morning, the East Azerbaijan Army Commander confirmed that some of the helicopter passengers' bodies were burned beyond recognition.

The Commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps in East Azerbaijan also noted that the Iranian foreign minister, the governor of East Azerbaijan, and Khamenei's representative in the province were also aboard the helicopter.

Earlier on Monday, Iranian state television reported that "there was no sign of life" in the wreckage of the helicopter carrying President Raisi and other officials.

East Azerbaijan Province, located in the northwest of the Iranian plateau, is one of Iran's thirty-one provinces. Its capital is Tabriz, with Urmia as its central city. The province is bordered to the north by the Aras River, which separates Iran from Azerbaijan and Armenia, stretching 235 kilometres.