The Iranian public has mixed reactions to the death of President Ibrahim Raisi

Iran has declared five days of mourning for President Ibrahim Raisi after his death in a helicopter crash. But while government loyalists gathered for prayers in mosques and squares, there was little public reaction. Many opponents, on the other hand, celebrated President Raisi's death.

On Sunday (May 19), the helicopter carrying President Raisi crashed in a remote mountain near Zolfa area of East Azerbaijan. All passengers including the country's president were killed. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian was also killed in this accident.

The BBC reported that the public response to President Raisi's death was relatively low compared to past deaths of senior figures in the history of the Islamic Republic. Most shops were open in Iran on the first day of five days of national mourning, which began on Monday (May 20), and daily life was normal. In addition, social media showed videos of Raisi's government handing out sweets to some of its opponents on his death, a year after his government cracked down on the biggest opposition protests since 1979.

Laila, a 21-year-old student from Tehran, told Reuters that she was not saddened by President Ibrahim Raisi's death because of his role in repressing women over wearing the hijab. But he was disappointed that Raisi's death would not bring about any significant change in the country's governance.
Incidentally, protests in Iran in 2022-2023 over the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in police custody for violating a strict dress code killed hundreds of Iranians at the hands of government security forces. About 22 thousand people were arrested.

Decisions taken by the authorities in handling various political, social and economic crises have widened the gap between Iran's clerical rulers and the people of society. But President Raisi's death was mourned by his loyalists. Mohammad Hossein Zarrabi, a 28-year-old volunteer with the Basij militia in the Shiite city of Qom, said Ibrahim Raisi was a hard-working president. His legacy will last as long as we live.

The death of President Ibrahim Raisi did not evoke as much emotion as the death of other figures. President Raisi was an Iranian cleric and a figure hated by opponents of the regime. He has been criticized for ensuring the execution of dissidents in the 1980s. Although Iran has never acknowledged the genocide, according to a report by Amnesty International, more than 5,000 Iranians were executed in the first decade after the revolution.

Public reaction to the death of President Raisi in Iran was largely mixed. Some were deeply saddened by the president's death, while others expressed joy. Others did not react because they think that President Raisi's death will not bring any change in the governance of the country.