A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian crashed on Sunday, causing shockwaves across the region. Details remain scarce, and it is unclear if President Raisi and the other officials on board survived the incident.
Who Was On Board and Their Destination
According to the state-run IRNA news agency, the helicopter was carrying President Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province, and other officials and bodyguards. They were returning from a trip to Iran's border with Azerbaijan, where Raisi had inaugurated a dam alongside Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.
Crash Location and Circumstances
The helicopter crashed or made an emergency landing in the Dizmar forest between Varzaqan and Jolfa in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, near the Azerbaijan border. The exact circumstances are unclear, but Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi stated that the helicopter was forced to make a hard landing due to bad weather and fog.
Search and Rescue Operations
The challenging mountainous, forested terrain and heavy fog have hindered search-and-rescue operations. Pir-Hossein Koulivand, president of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, reported that 40 search teams are on the ground despite adverse weather conditions, which have also prevented the use of aerial searches via drones.
Potential Impact of Raisi's Death
If President Raisi did not survive, the implications for Iran could be significant. Raisi is viewed as a protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a potential successor. Under the Iranian constitution, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber would assume the presidency. Ayatollah Khamenei has reassured Iranians that the country's operations would continue without disruption.
International Reactions
Countries including Russia, Iraq, and Qatar have expressed concern and offered assistance in the search efforts. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed deep concern and affirmed Azerbaijan's readiness to help. Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran have been tense due to Azerbaijan's diplomatic ties with Israel, Iran's regional adversary.
Saudi Arabia, traditionally a rival of Iran but recently engaged in rapprochement efforts, also expressed concern and solidarity with Iran. There has been no immediate reaction from Israel. Tensions between Israel and Iran have been high, especially after a recent Israeli strike in Damascus killed two Iranian generals, leading to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel, most of which were intercepted.
Further updates are awaited as search-and-rescue operations continue and more information becomes available.
