I think this is the only crash in history where everyone is worried if someone survived," Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad wrote on X, after reports of that a helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi crashed. "Happy World Helicopter Day!" the Iranian activist wrote.
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While hundreds gathered in the main squares of Tehran and Mashhad to pray for the safety of President Ebrahim Raisi following reports of the helicopter crash, scores of videos and reports emerged showing Iranians celebrating the news. Many Iranians and Iranian expatriates on social media were also seen joking and sharing memes of the crash.
Raisi wasn't just the President of Iran, he was the person touted to succeed Ali Khamenei as the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
But why this outburst of joy and celebration over the death of a national leader? And is the celebration just about Raisi or is it emblematic of a fightback by people repressed by a theocratic state?
While many were glued to TV screens and smartphones for updates on the wellbeing of the Iranian President, many in Iran and abroad were seen rejoicing at the possibility of the death of 63-year-old Raisi, who is often referred to as the "Butcher of Tehran".
Raisi was also a symbol of Iran, a moderate and modern Shia Muslim country, which had taken an extreme conservative turn after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.