Nationwide funeral rites for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi commence following helicopter crash.

• Over the weekend, Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian President, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash. Thousands of mourners gathered in Tabriz for his funeral ceremony.
• Funeral services for Raisi will take place in Tabriz, Qom, Birjand, and Tehran from Tuesday to Thursday.
• According to Iranian media, his final burial will occur in his birthplace, the holy city of Mashhad in the northeast of the country.

On Tuesday, thousands of mourners gathered in Tabriz for the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically died in a helicopter crash over the weekend, leaving a significant gap in the country's leadership succession plans.

The first funeral ceremony for Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others killed in the incident was held, as seen in videos and photographs shared on social media and by Iran's state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency and the semiofficial Tasnim.

The footage of the mourners brandishing photographs of Raisi and trooping behind lines awaiting the procession was not independently verified by CNBC.

The services for Raisi will be held in Tabriz, Qom, Birjand, and Tehran from Tuesday to Thursday. His final burial will take place in Mashhad, his birthplace, after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced five days of mourning.

On Monday, Khamenei posted on the X social media platform that Raisi worked diligently.

On Wednesday, Iran announced a public holiday and will hold a ceremony inviting high-ranking foreign dignitaries, although it is uncertain which world leaders will attend.

The death of Raisi was a relief for critics who condemned his role as a "Butcher of Tehran" for overseeing the execution of thousands of people during the 1988 massacre, as reported by Human Rights Watch, and for his brutal response to the 2022 protests against the death of Mahsa Amini.

The sudden death of Raisi caused shockwaves on the global stage, as Iran has been facing increasing isolation due to U.S. and Western sanctions and criticism over its nuclear program and human rights record.

On Sunday, a helicopter carrying Raisi and Amirabdolahian experienced a hard landing near the Azerbaijan border in poor weather, leaving Iran without two crucial leaders as the country grapples with economic pressures resulting from Western sanctions and regional conflict.

Tehran has historically supported Palestinian militant group Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and the Syrian administration of Bashar Assad, resulting in a first, short-lived set of aerial strikes launched from its own territory against Israel last month.

Amid the rapid announcements of interim caretakers, Iran's former Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is now serving as the acting head of state, while Deputy Foreign Minister and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani has assumed Amirabdollahian's position. Presidential elections are scheduled for June 28. However, larger questions remain: 63-year-old Raisi, a hardline cleric, is widely viewed as the likely successor to his 85-year-old mentor Khamenei, who has held power in Iran since 1989.

Iran's diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia are at a crossroads, as the two countries agreed to revive their ties in March 2022, with China acting as a mediator. Additionally, Iran has accepted an invitation to join the BRICS economic coalition, deepening its ties with China and Russia, which uses Iranian-made Shahed drones in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping mourned the death of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as a significant loss to the Iranian people and to the Chinese people, who also lost a valuable friend, according to Xinhua.

Putin praised Raisi as a "remarkable politician who devoted his life to serving his country" and a "true friend of Russia," who "made a significant personal contribution to improving relations between our countries and worked tirelessly to elevate them to a strategic partnership."

The U.S. likewise expressed condolences over Raisi's death, with U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller noting on Monday, "As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms."