Iran's President Raisi, Foreign Minister Dead In Helicopter Crash
Iran's President Raisi, Foreign Minister Dead In Helicopter Crash
Keneci Network @kenecifeed
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A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi experienced a "hard landing" in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, near its border with Azerbaijan, on Sunday, according to Iranian state media. He was traveling with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and the governor of the East Azerbaijan province and other officials.
The circumstances of the incident remain unclear as Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi initially said the helicopter "was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog."
Search teams were dispatched to the site in the Dizmar Forest between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa. Officials later told Iranian state TV that the helicopter has been found and contact made with one passenger and one crew member, though that could not be confirmed.
Iranian officials said the mountainous, forested terrain and heavy fog impeded search and rescue operations. The president of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir-Hossein Koulivand, said 40 search teams were on the ground in the area despite "challenging weather conditions."
"The esteemed president and company were on their way back aboard some helicopters, and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog," Vahidi said in comments aired on state TV. "Various rescue teams are on their way to the region, but because of the poor weather and fogginess, it might take time for them to reach the helicopter." The region is a bit [rugged] and it’s difficult to make contact. We are waiting for rescue teams to reach the landing site and give us more information."
Latest footage of the wreckage show there're no survivors left following the helicopter crash. And the Iranian state media has confirmed the death of President Raisi and Minister Amirabdollahian.
Iran's Vice President Muhammad Mukhbar is set to take over as acting president, pending the approval of the Supreme Leader, with the constitution stipulating a new president must be elected within 50 days.
Raisi had been in Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The dam is the third one that the two nations built on the Aras River.
Countries including Russia, Iraq and Qatar have expressed concerns for Raisi's fate in formal statements, and offered to assist in the search operations. Saudi Arabia, which is traditionally a rival of Iran, although the two countries have recently made a rapprochement, also expressed concern in a statement and said it "stands by Iran in these difficult circumstances."
Fingers have already started to be pointed at Israel's intelligence agency Mossad for possible involvement in the helicopter crash. There was no immediate official reaction from the Islamic Republic's mortal Jewish enemy.
Israel carried out military air strike on an Iranian consular building in Damascus that killed two Iranian generals. Tehran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in retaliatory strikes.
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