TEHRAN - Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi, who lost his life along with his entourage in a recent helicopter crash, was laid to rest on Thursday in the holy shrine of Imam Reza in his hometown, the northeastern city of Mashhad, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Raisi's body, along with those of the two members of his accompanying team, arrived at Mashhad's international airport Thursday afternoon from Birjand, the capital of the eastern South Khorasan province, where a funeral ceremony had been held for the late president and his companions earlier in the day, the report said.

TEHRAN -- The General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces on Thursday released the first report on the causes of a recent helicopter crash that resulted in the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage.

Following the crash, a senior investigation committee composed of experts, specialists and technicians arrived at the scene on Monday morning, the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted the report by the General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces as saying.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday led prayers at the funeral of late President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions, whose coffins were wrapped in Iranian flags at the University of Teheran.

After the event, Khamenei met with more than a dozen foreign heads of state and government who attended the ceremony for Raisi and other officials killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, the Iran International Newsroom said. Iran also proclaimed five days of mourning for Raisi.

At least one of the entourage of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi lived for some time after their helicopter's hard landing and the flight had been generally okay for less than one hour before it disappeared quickly.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to maintain strategic autonomy, solidarity and cooperation and never allow external forces to turn the SCO region into a geopolitical arena.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks on Tuesday when addressing the meeting of the SCO Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan. It was held to make preparations for the 24th meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council in Astana in July.

Wang said that amid global turbulence and transformation, a small number of countries pursue hegemony and power politics, form exclusive cliques, establish hidden rules, and engage in interference and suppression as well as economic decoupling and disruption of industrial and supply chains.

DUBAI — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead on Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic republic without two key figures as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei quickly named the first vice-president, Mohammad Mokhber, as caretaker.

Massive crowds filled the main square of Tabriz in northwestern Iran as well as mosques in Teheran and elsewhere on Tuesday as Iranians prayed for and held funeral ceremonies for President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who were killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash.

Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian are credited with resounding achievements in foreign relations that are likely to continue even after the new presidential election that is scheduled next month, according to analysts.

Foreign Ministers from the Middle East and around Asia were quick to pledge their continued support to the caretaker of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani as he took office following the death of his immediate predecessor.

Iran has assigned a high-ranking delegation to investigate the May 19 helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying team of senior officials, including the nation's foreign minister, according to state media.

The investigation group was assigned by General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. The delegation headed by Brigadier Ali Abdollahi has been dispatched to the site of the incident and the investigation has started.

A day of state mourning was observed across Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka on May 21 in honor of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Leaders of other South Asian countries also expressed their grief and paid their respects after the death of the president in a helicopter crash that also killed Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the Iranian president, Iran's foreign minister and others who lost their lives in the accident, said the office in a statement.

The Iranian authorities will hold a funeral for late president Ebrahim Raisi on May 23 and the next presidential election on June 28.

Editor's note: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died in a helicopter crash in the country's mountainous province of East Azerbaijan. China Daily looks at the transition process, as well as the condolences extended by leaders from across the globe.

TEHERAN — World leaders have extended condolences to Iran as the country on Monday mourns President Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash.

UNITED NATIONS -- Members of the UN Security Council on Monday observed a minute of silence to mourn the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other passengers in Sunday's helicopter crash.

At the beginning of a Security Council meeting on Monday morning, Mozambique's UN ambassador Pedro Comissario Afonso, who chaired the meeting, asked all those present in the Security Council chamber to stand and observe a minute of silence for the tragic loss of life and to present condolences and sympathy to their families and to the people of Iran.

TEHRAN -- Iran's government decided on Monday that the country's 14th presidential election would be held on June 28, the official news agency IRNA reported.

The election date was determined in a meeting attended by Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, currently assuming the presidency, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, as well as Vice President for Legal Affairs Mohammad Dehqan and representatives of the Iranian Constitutional Council and Interior Ministry, the report said.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and some members of his accompanying team, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were confirmed dead Monday morning as the wreckage of the helicopter carrying them was found following its crash in bad weather on Sunday near Varzaqan County, some 670 km away from Tehran.

President Xi Jinping expressed deep condolences on Monday over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, saying that the Chinese people have lost a good friend who made positive efforts for consolidating and developing ties between Beijing and Teheran.

Raisi and other officials were confirmed dead early Monday after a challenging overnight search amid bad weather in northwestern Iran's East Azerbaijan Province, according to Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency. Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei appointed First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber as acting president, in line with Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution.

TEHRAN -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Monday appointed the country's First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber as interim president following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

The deaths of Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and some other officials, in a helicopter crash on Sunday has raised concerns about how the tragedy will reverberate in Iran and beyond.

This is not a time for conspiracy theories. Nor for any schadenfreude on the part of those hostile to Iran.

Editor's Note: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were declared deceased on Monday following a helicopter incident on Sunday. Below are excerpts of views shared by Chinese experts on this tragic incident.

Crash has profound impact on Iran

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a message of condolence to Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber following the unfortunate death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter accident.

On behalf of the Chinese government and the people of China, Xi expressed deep condolences and extended sincere sympathies to Mokhber, the family of President Raisi, and the Iranian government and people.

Xi said that since President Raisi took office, he made important contributions to maintaining Iran's security and stability and promoting national development and prosperity. He added that Raisi also made positive efforts to consolidate and deepen the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.

Millions of Iranians are mourning the tragic news of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who has been confirmed dead after hours of challenging search and rescue efforts, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency.

Raisi died when the helicopter he was in crashed on Monday morning amid bad weather in the northwestern East Azerbaijan province. The tragedy also claimed the lives of eight other top Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azarbaijan's Governor Malek Rahmati, and the Friday prayers leader Tabriz Mohammad Ali Ale-Hasehem, according to Mehr. A similar report was filed by Al Jazeera quoting a senior official from Iran.