Following Reisi’s death, allegations of sabotage regarding the helicopter came to the fore. The reflection of movement thought to be human in drone images taken at a point close to the accident point was also the subject of discussion. The statement from the USA, where all eyes were on after the accident, attracted attention. Finally, slogans of death to the USA chanted at the funeral ceremony in Mashhad attracted attention.
USA: IRAN ASKED US FOR HELP
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller reported that Iran requested help from the US after the helicopter carrying the leader and his accompanying delegation had an accident. Stating that they conveyed to the other party that they were willing to support “any government in this situation”, Miller said, “But as a result, we could not provide this assistance, largely due to logistical reasons.” he said.
THE CHIEF WAS BURIED IN THE IMAM RIZA TOMB IN MASHHED
Chief; After the farewell ceremonies held in the cities of Tabriz, Qom, Tehran and Birjend, he was sent off on his final journey yesterday in the city of Mashhad.
Posters and black flags symbolizing mourning were hung on the streets of Mashhad, especially around the Imam Reza Tomb where he was buried, as a farewell to the Chief, who was brought to his hometown after the ceremony held in Birjend city of South Khorasan province.
The bodies of Reisi and the other two officials who died in the accident were welcomed at the airport and then brought to the Imam Reza Tomb, which is considered the most sacred place in the country.
The ceremony, held with the participation of a large crowd outside and inside the tomb, started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Later, prayers were said and elegies were recited for the Chief and other officials.
High-level representatives and ministers from many countries and Iranian civil and military officials attended the ceremony.
Reisi’s body was buried in the area prepared for him inside the Imam Reza Tomb towards the evening.
“DEATH TO USA” SLOGANS
One of the details that left its mark on the funeral ceremony was the slogan chanted by Iranians in Mashhad. The moments when Iranians chanted “Death to the USA” in unison were caught on camera.
Those moments also became a trending topic on social media.
CHIEF’S FATHER-IN-LAW IN MASHHED IS KHAMANNEI’S REPRESENTATIVE
Mashhad, where the Chief is buried, is known not only as his hometown, but also as a city where his family and father-in-law have significant influence.
Mashhad also hosts the Astan-i Kuds-i Rezevi Foundation, which is considered one of the largest foundations in the country, comprising hundreds of companies, and of which Reisi was the president for a period.
The most important reason why the settlement, formerly known as “Sanabad”, has grown so much is that the tomb of Ali er-Riza, who is considered the eighth imam of the “12 Imams” in the Shiite faith, is located here.
According to Shiite belief, the fact that only one of the 12 Imams is in Iran makes the mausoleum the most important religious place in the country.
The name of the city from Sanabad was later changed to “Mashhad-i İmam Riza”, meaning “the place where Imam Reza was martyred”; It is currently known simply as “Mashhad”.
The city of Mashhad, one of the most important centers in terms of religious tourism in Iran, hosts millions of visitors every year and is considered one of the richest cities in the country. The city has been attracting a lot of tourists, especially from Arab countries, in recent years.
FOUNDATION PLACED ON THE SANCTIONS LIST BY THE USA
While the name of the chief family is associated with the Astan-i Quds-i Razevi Foundation, one of the most prominent institutions in Mashhad, the foundation is a multifaceted economic, sectarian and cultural structure responsible for the tomb of Imam Reza, who is considered one of the most important names for Shiite Muslims.
Astan-e-Quds-i Razevi, whose president was appointed directly by Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, is considered the longest-lived organization in the country since the death of Imam Reza nearly 1200 years ago.
Although donations constitute the main source of income of the institution, the foundation, which later became a holding company with the companies it acquired, became an important player in the economy of Mashhad and the country.
Astan-e-Quds-i Razevi’s companies were also exempt from taxes for 35 years in 1984 on the instructions of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Iranian revolution.
The foundation was placed on the sanctions list by the United States in 2021.
Reisi was head of Astan-i Quds-i Razevi when he ran for the presidential election against former President Hassan Rouhani in 2017. At that time, Rouhani accused Reisi of using the foundation he runs for election expenses.
Seemingly a large foundation in itself, Astan-ı Kuds-i Rezevi owns hundreds of companies in construction, agriculture, energy, telecommunications and financial services.
THE ROOTS AND CAREER OF THE CHIEF IN MASHHED
Reisi was born in 1964 in Noghan district of Mashhad. According to the information on Reisi’s official website, his father Hüccetulislam Hacı Reis Saadeti was also a cleric in Mashhad. He lost his father when he was only 5 years old. His chief was educated in the Nawab madrassas of Mashhad.
Later, while studying at religious schools in Qom, the religious center of the country, he established relationships with clerics opposed to Mohammad Reza Shah and joined the group of young supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini. After the revolution in 1979, Reisi climbed the ladder of power at impressive speed.
Reisi was only 20 years old when he became the prosecutor of the cities of Kerec and Hamadan, and he served as the prosecutor of Hamadan province from 1982 to 1984. Its chief became an important official with a lot of authority in Iran’s “revolutionary” system.
In the same period, at the age of 23, he married the daughter of Ayatollah Ahmed Alemelhuda, one of the most influential clerics in Iran, the Friday Imam of Mashhad.
Raisi’s marriage to the daughter of Ayatollah Ahmed Alemelhuda, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s representative in Mashhad, further strengthened his position.
Reisi, who died in a helicopter crash, was first appointed deputy chief prosecutor in Tehran in 1998, and then served as Tehran Prosecutor; After serving as the head of the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office for about 5 years, he was appointed head of the “General Supervision Organization”.
After holding senior positions in the Iranian judiciary for a while, Reisi was appointed president of Astan-i Quds-i Razevi, one of the institutions closest to Iranian leader Khamenei and comprising hundreds of companies, in 2016.
During this period, Reisi also served as a member of the Assembly of Experts, which consists of 88 clerics with the authority to elect or dismiss the country’s leader. In 2019, he was appointed head of the Judicial Power by Khamenei, and he served as the eighth president of the country from 2021 until his death.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Iranian President Reisi died in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province on May 19, while returning from a dam opening on the Azerbaijani border. Foreign Minister Hussein Emir Abdullahiyan, who died in the same helicopter with his chief, was also buried in Rey city of Tehran.
