The U.S. State Dept. has offered condolences to Iran over the death of the Iranian president.
"The United States expresses its official condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
"As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms."
Raisi, the foreign minister and several other officials were found dead after the helicopter crashed in a mountainous area in foggy weather on Sunday.
The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 85, who holds power in Iran, said Iran's first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, would serve as the country's acting president until elections are held.
Khamenei had said earlier, "No disruption will occur in Iran's state affairs."
U.S. and Iranian tensions have increased in recent years.
During Raisi's presidency, Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels, supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and armed militia groups across the region, the Associated Press reported.
Russian President Vladmir Putin called Raisi a "true friend of Russia" in an official statement.
