(Scypre.com) – On Sunday, a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, crashed in mountainous terrain shrouded in heavy fog, as reported by an Iranian official to Reuters.
The crash occurred during their return from a visit to Iran’s northwest border with Azerbaijan. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, conveyed that the lives of both Raisi and Amirabdollahian were “at risk following the helicopter crash.” Despite ongoing rescue efforts, information from the crash site remained “very concerning,” according to the same source.
State television reported that at least one passenger and one crew member had established contact with rescuers. While it was initially claimed that the helicopter had been located, Iran’s Red Crescent refuted this report. In an attempt to calm the nation, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei assured that state affairs would continue uninterrupted despite the incident.
The Iranian state media attributed the crash to adverse weather conditions, which also complicated rescue operations. The state news agency IRNA disclosed that Raisi was aboard a U.S.-manufactured Bell 212 helicopter. The chief of staff of Iran’s army directed all military resources, including those of the elite Revolutionary Guards, to aid in the search and rescue mission.
A local reporter informed state TV that darkness and rain had exacerbated the search conditions, creating mud and hindering progress, although rescue teams had reached the area. National broadcaster IRIB interrupted regular programming to broadcast prayers for Raisi and live updates from the rescue teams navigating the foggy, mountainous terrain.
Rescue teams anticipated reaching the probable crash site by Sunday evening. International concern and offers of assistance poured in, with neighboring countries ready to help in any way possible. The White House confirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden had been briefed on the crash reports. Turkey responded to a request from Iranian authorities by assigning a drone, a helicopter, vehicles, and a rescue team. The European Union extended emergency satellite mapping technology to aid the search efforts.
This incident occurred amid escalating dissent within Iran, fueled by political, social, and economic crises. Iran’s leadership faces international scrutiny over its contentious nuclear program and its strengthening military alliance with Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in Israel’s offensive on Gaza, tensions have flared across the Middle East involving Iran-aligned groups.
Ebrahim Raisi, 63, assumed the presidency in 2021. Since his election, he has enforced stricter morality laws, overseen a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests, and pursued aggressive nuclear negotiations with world powers. Despite Iran’s dual political system, which divides power between the clerical establishment and the government, it is Raisi’s mentor, the 85-year-old Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over major policies. Many have viewed Raisi as a likely successor to Khamenei, who has supported Raisi’s key policies.
Raisi’s election in 2021, conducted under close scrutiny, shifted all branches of government under hardliner control after eight years of pragmatist leadership under Hassan Rouhani, during which a nuclear deal was brokered with Washington. However, Raisi’s popularity has been marred by widespread protests against clerical rule and his inability to revive Iran’s economy, which remains crippled by Western sanctions.
On the day of the crash, Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a collaborative project with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who bid a “friendly farewell” to Raisi earlier that day, also extended offers of assistance in the rescue operation.