Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian's life were "at risk following the helicopter crash," according to an official.
Dubai: According to an Iranian official speaking to Reuters, a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed on Sunday while flying over mountainous territory in dense fog. Rescuers were having difficulty reaching the scene of the tragedy. The official stated that Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein
Amirabdollahian's lives were "at risk following the helicopter crash," which occurred when they were returning from a trip to Iran's northwest border with Azerbaijan. Under Reuters' anonymity, the official said, "We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning."
According to a statement made by an official to State TV, at least one passenger and one crew member had spoken with rescuers. Additionally, although Iran's Red Crescent refuted this report, it reported the helicopter had been located.
In an attempt to reassure Iranians, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say over foreign policy and the country's nuclear program, stated that there would be no interference in domestic issues. According to Iranian official media,
poor weather contributed to the crash and made rescue efforts more difficult. US-made Bell 212 helicopters are what Raisi was reportedly piloting, according to state news agency IRNA.
The Iranian army's chief of staff issued an order to employ the whole arsenal, including the elite Revolutionary Guard, for search and rescue missions.
The national network had earlier halted its regular programming to demonstrate the nationwide prayers being held in Raisi's honor. It appeared in the early hours of Monday, showing a rescue team crowded over a GPS unit while searching a pitch-black slope on foot in the midst of a heavy blizzard. The squad was dressed in bright jackets and head torches.
"We are meticulously examining every square inch of the crash site," a provincial army commander was cited by state media as saying. "The weather in the area is gloomy, rainy, and quite chilly. Snow is progressively forming from the downpour." Several nations voiced their worries and offered support for any rescue efforts. US President Joe Biden was briefed on the crash reports, according to the White House. Following a request from Iranian officials, Turkey claimed it had dispatched a rescue squad, trucks, a helicopter, and a drone. Iran was provided with emergency satellite mapping equipment by the European Union to aid in the search.
HARDLINER, ELIMINATOR POSSIBLE FOR KHAMENEI The crash occurs at a time when Iran's discontent over a number of political, social, and economic issues is on the rise. International pressure is being applied to Iran's clerical leadership because of Tehran's disputed nuclear program and strengthening military links with Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine.
Conflicts involving organizations affiliated with Iran have erupted across the Middle East ever since Israel's war on Gaza on October 7th, which was sparked by Hamas, an ally of Iran. After winning the presidency in 2021,
Raisi, 63, has tightened morals rules, brutally suppressed anti-government demonstrations, and pressed hard for nuclear discussions with international powers.
Under Iran's two-party system, which is divided between the government and the clerical establishment, decisions about all significant policies are made by Raisi's 85-year-old mentor Khamenei, who has been the country's supreme leader since 1989. Since Khamenei has supported Raisi's primary objectives, many have long considered Raisi to be a formidable candidate to succeed him.
Raisi's triumph in a tightly contested election in 2021 placed hardliners in charge of all branches of government, following eight years of pragmatic Hassan Rouhani's presidency and a nuclear agreement mediated with the United States. However, the massive demonstrations against clerical authority and Raisi's inability to revive Iran's economy due to Western sanctions may have damaged his reputation.
Raisi had been at the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday to officially open the joint Qiz-Qalasi Dam. Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, offered assistance in the rescue and said he had addressed a "friendly farewell" to Raisi earlier in the day.
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