In a devastating turn of events, Iranian state media has confirmed that President Ebrahim Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and other officials, died in a helicopter crash.
After extensive searches in the foggy mountain valleys of Dizmar forest near the Azerbaijan border, the charred remains of Raisi’s helicopter were found amidst the scorched trees. Surprisingly, only the tail of the helicopter seemed to have survived the crash.
In comments aired on state TV, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said: “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.”
“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 loss of President Raisi marks a significant moment for Iran, both domestically and in the context of heightened regional tensions. Known for his hardline stance, Raisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election, a vote that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history.
In addition, Iran has encountered numerous years of extensive demonstrations against its Shiite theocratic regime due to a struggling economy and the issue of women’s rights. This further intensifies the sensitivity of the current situation for Tehran and has significant implications for the future of the country, particularly as the Israel-Hamas conflict escalates tensions across the broader Middle East.
Under the Iranian constitution, Iran’s vice first president takes over if the president dies with Khamenei’s assent, and a new presidential election would be called within 50 days.
“Raisi represents a younger version of Iran’s revolutionary elite — much less competent, but much more zealous,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at Washington’s Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which has called for tighter sanctions on Tehran.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran, also issued a statement Sunday asking people to pray that Raisi and the others are found safe.
“We hope that Almighty God will return the respected and honorable president and his companions to the arms of the nation,” Khamenei said. “Everyone should pray for the health of this group of servants.”
Relevant articles:
– Iran’s President Raisi dead in helicopter crash: Iranian state media, ABC News, 05/20/2024
– Iran’s hard-line president still missing after likely helicopter crash in foggy, mountainous region, The Associated Press, 05/20/2024
– Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s president, dies in helicopter crash aged 63, Al Jazeera English, 05/20/2024
– Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi dies in a helicopter crash, POLITICO Europe, 05/20/2024
– Iran crash live updates President Ebrahim Raisi dead in helicopter crash, state media says, The Washington Post, 05/20/2024
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