Mr Raisi, 63, was killed in a helicopter crash amid heavy fog on Sunday as he was travelling back from a visit to northern Iran to discuss an infrastructure project with neighbouring Azerbaijan.

As international and regional allies including Russia, China and Turkey lamented the death of Raisi, the US said it would continue to hold Iran accountable for “destabilising” activity in the region.

“No question this was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said.

Rescuers found the helicopter that was carrying the Iranian president, as well as the country’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other senior officials, after it crashed in a mountainous northwest region of Iran.

Minutes after the Red Crescent Society announced its team had reached the site of the crash, state TV reported that there were “no signs of life” and an official said the helicopter had been “completely burned”.

Excluding the headlong, News: http://www.independent.co.uk