After the incident of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crash today, Sunday, whose fate and that of his companions remains unknown for hours, there has been an increased search for the possible scenario in case of the president's absence for any potential reason.

The Iranian constitution stipulates in this case that a temporary committee will assume the duties of the Iranian presidency if the Iranian president is unable to exercise his powers for two months for any reason.

Article 131
According to Article 131, a committee will assume the president's duties in the event of his death, absence, or illness for more than two months, or in the event of the president's term ending without a new president being elected.

The Iranian Vice President, with the approval of the Iranian Leader, will head a committee that includes the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice. The Vice President will be obliged to organize presidential elections within 50 days.

According to Article 131, the Iranian Leader can himself assume all the powers of the president directly or appoint a new official if it becomes impossible for the Vice President to exercise his powers as required.

Article 113 of the Iranian constitution states that the Iranian president is the highest official in the country after the Leader, bearing the responsibility for implementing the constitution and presiding over the executive branch (the government) except for matters that pertain to the Leader.

Iran faced this scenario for the first time after the ousting of former President Abolhassan Banisadr, who was removed by the first Leader, Khomeini, on charges of betraying the principles of the Iranian revolution.

President's helicopter incident
A helicopter that was part of a convoy for the Iranian president, consisting of 3 aircraft, was involved in an accident, according to Iranian state television.

The television added that the incident occurred in the Jolfa area of East Azerbaijan Province, noting that the helicopter carrying Raisi made an "emergency" landing.

It also clarified that difficult weather conditions hinder rescue teams from reaching the accident site in northwestern Iran.

Search operations continue
The search operations for the helicopter are ongoing in northwestern Iran. The television broadcast images of several members of the Iranian Red Crescent walking through heavy fog. The Chief of Staff also requested the participation of the Revolutionary Guard, the army, and the police in the search for the aircraft.

For his part, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi confirmed to state television that a helicopter in Raisi's convoy faced difficulties in landing.

He also added that the difficult weather conditions are obstructing rescue teams.

For its part, the "IRNA" news agency pointed out that the helicopter was involved in an accident in the "Dezmar Forest" area located between Wazqan and Jolfa in East Azerbaijan Province.

Inauguration of a dam
It is worth noting that Raisi was in Azerbaijan earlier today with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate the dam, which is the third built by the two countries on the Aras River.

The visit came despite the cold relations between the two countries, including the armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran in 2023, and the diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, which Tehran considers its main enemy in the region.