• Iran has declared five days of public mourning after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in north-west Iran alongside seven others, including Tehran's foreign minister. The crash happened close to Iran's border with Azerbaijan, where Raisi had been meeting President Ilham Aliyev
• Raisi's funeral will take place tomorrow, and for the next seven days cultural activities have been cancelled
• Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed as acting president, and Bagheri Kani, who was deputy foreign minister, is now foreign minister
• In the West, leaders from the EU, Nato and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) offered their condolences as Iran mourns its fallen leader
• Iran-backed groups Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, who are proscribed as terrorist organisations by many countries in the world, have also expressed their condolences to the people of Iran
• The cause of the helicopter crash remains unclear, but Russia (Tehran's close ally) has offered its help with the investigation
• Interim President Mokhber has already addressed a cabinet meeting in Tehran, but standard procedure dictates that new elections are expected to be held in the next 50 days
• Raisi's death has stirred a range of reactions across the world, from protesters gathering outside the Iranian embassy in Berlin to flags flying at half-mast in Moscow, Beirut and elsewhere

Bahman Kalbasi
BBC Persian, reporting from New York

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the 60-year-old foreign minister of the Islamic Republic who died in the helicopter crash alongside President Raisi, spent the last two decades as a diplomat and foreign policy advisor to senior officials of the regime.

He led the Iranian diplomatic team that entered direct dialogue with US officials in Iraq in August 2007. The leader of Iran trusted him enough to allow a limited three-way conversation with the Americans and Iraqis on the subject of Iraq’s security and future.

He was later appointed as deputy foreign minister in the administration of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A post he kept when Hassan Rouhani came to power in 2013 and appointed Mohammad Javad Zarif as foreign minister.

Zarif led the talks with the Americans which resulted in the inking of the Iran nuclear deal in 2015, and he also fired Amir-Abdollahian from his post.

It was a move that angered the hardliners in Iran and was seen as a sign of a growing rift between Zarif and those like Amir-Abdollahian who had closer ties to the revolutionary guards and were sceptical of opening to the West.

When Ibrahim Raisi became president, Amir-Abdollahian triumphantly returned as the new foreign minister taking the reins from Zarif - the man who had fired him just a few years before.

As foreign minister, Amir-Abdollahian's attempts at reviving the nuclear deal with more favourable terms for the Islamic Republic, in indirect talks with the Biden administration, failed.

Amir-Abdollahian visited UN headquarters in New York multiple times in the last two years but he dodged questions about the bloody crackdown on protesters in Iran.

He once claimed no one had been killed in these protests.

Image source, EPA

As we've been reporting, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday along with seven other passengers.

Here's a look at the other members of his entourage who were travelling with Raisi.

• One of Iran's top diplomats, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan Province, Malik Rahmati, also died in the crash
• Others passengers were: Mohammad Mehdi Mousavi, head of the president's security team; co-pilots Col Mohsen Daryanush and Col Seyyed Taher Mostafavi; and technician Maj Behrouz Qadimi
• The Friday Imam of Tabriz, Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, was also on board. He survived for an hour after the crash and tried to make contact with the president's office, according to the head of Iran's Crisis Management Agency

We earlier had reports that the funerals of President Ebrahim Raisi and the other victims of the helicopter crash would be held tomorrow in Tabriz.

That's now been confirmed by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency - it says that the funeral rites for Raisi and his entourage will begin on Tuesday in the north-western city.

The ceremony will begin at 9.30am (06:00 GMT) local time and Raisi's body will later be taken to Tehran, the agency reports.

Siavash Ardalan
BBC Persian senior reporter

The history of Iran's Islamic Republic has been marked by the loss if its top leaders.

The regime is adept at taking advantage of such losses to project continuity and stability as in death of its founder, Ayatollah Khomeini and the killing of Qasem Soleimani by the Americans.

This was the message behind the assurances delivered by Iran's Supreme Leader to Iranians yesterday.

It did not take long for the authorities to prepare for a new round of presidential elections within 50 days and organise a state funeral for the 'uncharismatic' president who contrary to his predecessors was completely obedient to the Supreme Leader and sat squarely in the conservative camp.

Many Iranians who bear the scars the regime's brutality may feel that justice has prevailed as they held Raisi responsible for the execution of thousands of political prisoners back in the 80's.

But as far as the Iranian clerical establishment is concerned, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

The Iranian government has held its first cabinet meeting following the death of President Raisi.

Video footage shows Iran’s newly-appointed interim president Mohammad Mokhber addressing cabinet members in a meeting room.

He describes the helicopter crash as a “serious incident” but says that “we won't have any disruption”, according to Reuters.

“Everyone should continue on with their roles despite this incident. In no way will this tragic incident interfere with the government and running of our country,” he continues.

As we've been reporting throughout the day, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash. He was travelling alongside Tehran foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others.

But as the Middle East reacts to the news, other developments are making headlines in the region.

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed al-Masri are also being sought by the ICC.

Chief prosecutor Karim Khan says he has "reasonable grounds to believe" the men bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The alleged crimes begin "from at least 7 October 2023" in the case of Hamas, when they killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 252 others hostage.

While in Israel's case the alleged crimes begin "from at least 8 October 2023", when Israel launched its retaliatory offensive in Gaza.

At least 35,303 people have been killed by Israel in the war in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Israeli politicians have condemned the decision to apply for a warrant for Netanyahu.

You can follow the latest updates on this story in our separate live page, here.

The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has stirred a range of emotions across the world.

From protesters gathering outside the Iranian embassy in Berlin to flags flying at half-mast in Moscow, Beirut and elsewhere, the world continues to react to Raisi's death.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Image source, .

Let's have a look at how Iran's government is structured.

• The supreme leader, who has been Ayatollah Khamenei since 1989, is head of state and has authority over the police. He also controls 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
• The president's interior ministry runs the national police force, but its commander is appointed and answerable to the supreme leader - this is the same for the IRGC and Basij
• The Guardian Council approves new laws and can veto them

We've just got news that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has spoken with the newly-appointed acting president Mohammad Mokhber, describing his predecessor President Raisi as a "reliable partner".

The Kremlin confirmed the phone call and said both sides stressed their "mutual intention to further strengthen Russian-Iranian interaction," according to Reuters.

Iran has been an important military ally of Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Earlier, Putin offered his condolences after news emerged that President Raisi had died in a helicopter crash. He described Raisi as a "true friend of Russia" and an "outstanding politician".

Several hours after Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian were confirmed dead, we have been hearing from the Western world:

• France extended its condolences with a brief foreign ministry statement. "France offers its condolences to the Islamic Republic of Iran following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and those accompanying them," the statement said
• European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell offered his condolences over the death Raisi and other Iranian officials in a helicopter crash, a few hours after reaction from Charles Michel
• International Atomic Energy Agency Director, Rafael Grossi, held a minute of silence after the news of the death of Raisi, during a speech at an international conference on nuclear security in Vienna
• Poland's President Andrzej Duda said he was "deeply moved by the news of the tragic death of the President of Iran". Remembering the 2010 plane crash which killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski, Duda said: "We know the feeling of shock and emptiness that remains in people's hearts and in the country after the sudden loss of the political and social elite, therefore, with special understanding, we join the victims' relatives and the Iranian nation in prayer and grief."
• NATO's spokesperson took to X, formerly Twitter, and offered condolences to the Iranian nation after the death of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian, in a post written in Persian

New photos show rescue workers combing through the mountainous terrain at the crash site in north-west Iran.

As we've reported, the aircraft came down in foggy weather near the city of Varzaqan.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, MOJ NEWS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Anadolu Agency

After hours searching for the Iranian president’s helicopter, drones sent from Turkey found it early in the morning in north-west Iran.

On the way back to its base in Turkey, the Akinci drone used its flight map to draw a crescent and a star, which are seen on the Turkish flag.

The Turkish state-run news agency, AA, said hundreds of thousands of people watched the route of the drone live on FlightRadar24 application. The same agency released a video of the "drawing" - see a still image above.

Turkey has been focusing on drone production for more than a decade. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son-in-law’s company, which works in the defence industry, is a leading brand in the field.

Image source, Reuters

Here's a photo of newly-appointed interim president Mohammad Mokhber as he addresses a cabinet meeting in Tehran.

Mokhber, who was vice-president before taking on his new role, is known for being close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The election of a new president will take place within the next 50 days.

The course of regional politics will remain the samepublished at 12:15 British Summer Time 20 May

12:15 BST 20 May

Lina Sinjab
BBC Middle East correspondent, reporting from Beirut

As we reported earlier, Hezbollah, Iran's main allies in Lebanon, have issued their condolences - but the track of Iran’s support will not be disrupted.

President Raisi was close to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who designs and approves regional politics. The interim president Mohammad Mokhber comes from same school of hardliners in support of resistance. So the course of regional policies will remain the same.

This is not like 2020’s assassination of the Leader of Revolutionary Guard Qassem Suleimani, Iran’s leading figure who helped reshape the region.

That was a moment that left Iran and its regional allies - mainly Hezbollah - in shock and fear at what would happen next. But they immediately repositioned themselves in a way to protect their power in the region.

For now, the war on Gaza will continue to be the focus of attention - especially here in Lebanon, where Hezbollah is worried about threats of expanding the war into Lebanon.

We just reported on the aftermath of the crash in north-west Iran - now we can see the debris itself.

An Iranian IRINN TV reporter is showing the damage at the scene, saying the accident occured due to fog and rain.

Siavash Ardalan
BBC Persian senior reporter, in London

As more details emerge about the helicopter crash, a harrowing picture is taking shape.

One of the passengers on board was Mohammad Ali Al-Hashem, Friday Prayer Imam of Tabriz, the city the convoy was travelling to.

According to Mohammad Nami, head of Iran's Crisis Management Agency, Al-Hashem survived for a whole hour after the crash. He even tried to make contact with the president's office.

"No DNA tests were needed to identify the passengers," says Nami. In total, nine people including the flight crew were killed in the helicopter crash.

Image source, Reuters

• Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sends his condolences to his "dear friend" President Raisi. In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, he says he witnessed Raisi's "efforts to have peace" in Iran and the wider region

• Pakistan's recently elected prime minister Shehbaz Sharif says Raisi and Foeign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian "were good friends of Pakistan"

• Afghanistan's acting prime minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund says they share "the grief of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its people"
• After Hamas, the leader of Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, released a statement, sending "sincere condolences and sympathy to the brotherly Iranian people"
• Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad a Thani, of one of the few allies of Iran in the Gulf, Qatar, sends his condolences to the Iranian people

• Iran's neighbour Iraq also expresses "solidarity with the brotherly Iranian people"
• Thousands of miles away from Iran, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, writes on X that he is deeply saddened "to have to say goodbye to an exemplary person, an extraordinary leader of the world"

Image source, Reuters

We reported earlier that Mohammad Mokhber would become interim president of Iran - that has now been confirmed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on X., external

He says Mokhber will cooperate with the other branches - legislative and judiciary - in "facilitating" the election of a new president within the next 50 days.

Iran's upcoming presidential election will be dullpublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 20 May

11:35 BST 20 May

Parham Ghobadi
BBC Persian senior reporter, reporting from London

The late Ebrahim Raisi won the presidency in an election critics called "engineered". The Guardian Council, responsible for vetting candidates, disqualified any potential contenders.

These manipulations have contributed to record-low turnout in recent parliamentary and presidential elections. For example, in the second round of parliamentary elections this month, a Tehran MP won with the support of only 3.5% of eligible voters.

With Iran needing a new president in 50 days, the same scenario is likely to repeat. A hardliner, loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, will be qualified to run and win in a dull election.

Many believe the 85-year-old commander-in-chief is preparing for a smooth transition of power after his death, seemingly engineering Iran's political landscape for his succession.

Image source, Reuters