Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, his international minister and others have been discovered useless on the scene of a helicopter crash after an hour-long search within the foggy mountains of the nation’s northwest, state media reported. Raishi was 63 years outdated.
Iranian state tv didn’t reveal the rapid explanation for the crash in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
Among the useless was Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, 60.
Earlier, Iranian state tv mentioned there have been no “indicators of life” on the crash website of the helicopter carrying Raisi and others. The scene was throughout a steep valley and rescue groups had not but arrived, state media reported on the time.
Pir Hossein Kolivand, chairman of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, instructed state media that because the solar rose within the area, rescuers noticed the helicopter about 2 kilometers away.
He declined to offer additional particulars, however officers mentioned he had been lacking for greater than 12 hours at that time.
Rescue groups introduced early this afternoon that that they had discovered a helicopter that appeared to have crashed in a mountainous space in northwestern Iran.
The incident comes as Iran, led by Raisi and Supreme Leader Khamenei, launched an unprecedented drone and missile assault on Israel final month, enriching uranium nearer to weapons-grade ranges than ever earlier than. .
Iran can be going through years of large protests towards its Shiite theocracy over a sluggish financial system and ladies’s rights, and because the Israel-Hamas warfare rages throughout the Middle East, the way forward for Iran and the nation is in jeopardy. is a extra delicate interval.
Raisi was touring to Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. State tv mentioned the so-called “onerous touchdown” occurred close to the Azerbaijani border metropolis of Jolfa, about 600 kilometers northwest of Iran’s capital Tehran.
State tv later reported that the assault was additional east, close to the village of Uzi, however the particulars remained contradictory.
Accompanying him have been Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, different officers and bodyguards, state information company IRNA mentioned.
One native authorities official used the phrase “crash,” whereas others referred to both a “onerous touchdown” or an “incident.” Neither IRNA nor state tv offered any details about Raisi’s situation for a number of hours afterward.
According to the coordinates proven within the video, the fireplace began on a steep mountainside about 20 kilometers south of the Azerbaijan-Iran border.
Hardliners referred to as on the general public to wish for him. State tv confirmed footage of a whole bunch of believers in varied components of the nation, together with the Imam Reza Mausoleum in Mashhad, one of many holiest websites in Shiite Islam, and Qom, providing prayers with outstretched arms. It was aired. The important channel of state tv broadcast the prayers nonstop.
In Tehran, a gaggle of males watched a video of Raisi praying, kneeling on the facet of the highway and clutching a rosary, some visibly crying.
“We can be heartbroken if one thing occurred to him,” mentioned Mehdi Seyedi, one of many males.
“May your prayers achieve success and his protected return to the arms of his folks.”
In feedback aired on state tv, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi mentioned: “The esteemed president and his firm have been on their method dwelling in a number of helicopters, however one of many helicopters was broken on account of unhealthy climate and fog. “We have been compelled to make a tough touchdown.”
“Various rescue groups are heading to the world, however on account of unhealthy climate and fog it might take a while for the helicopter to reach.”
IRNA refers to this space as a “forest” and the world can be identified to be mountainous.
State tv confirmed footage of an SUV rushing via a forested space, saying the drive was hampered by heavy rain and wind. Rescue staff is also seen strolling via the mist and mist.
Late within the night (native time), Turkey’s Ministry of Defense introduced that it was getting ready to ship unmanned aerial automobiles and helicopters with evening imaginative and prescient capabilities to participate in search and rescue operations.
Long after sundown, Iranian authorities spokesman Ali Bahadri Jahromi acknowledged that they have been “going through a troublesome and sophisticated state of affairs” within the search.
“It is the general public’s and media’s proper to know the newest information relating to the presidential helicopter accident, however contemplating the coordinates of the accident website and climate situations, there may be presently ‘no’ new information,” he mentioned. he wrote on social platform X.
“At occasions like these, endurance, prayer and belief in aid teams are the way in which ahead.”
Ayatollah Khamenei himself referred to as on the folks to wish. However, the Supreme Leader additionally confused that Iranian authorities operations will proceed it doesn’t matter what.
Under Iran’s structure, with Khamenei’s consent, if the president dies, the vp will take over and a brand new presidential election will probably be held inside 50 days.
State media mentioned First Vice President Mohammad Mokbel had already begun receiving calls from officers and international governments throughout Raisi’s absence.
Mr. Raisi, 63, a hardliner who as soon as led the nation’s judiciary, is taken into account a disciple of Ayatollah Khamenei, and a few analysts imagine he’ll exchange the 85-year-old chief after Khamenei’s dying or resignation. It means that it might get replaced.
Raisi was on the border with Azerbaijan early Sunday morning (Tehran time) to inaugurate the dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. This dam is the third dam constructed by each international locations on the Aras River.
The go to comes at a time when relations between the 2 international locations have cooled, together with the 2023 taking pictures of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran and diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, which Iran’s Shiite theocracy considers its important enemy within the area. It was carried out even though
Iran flies quite a lot of helicopters domestically, however worldwide sanctions have made it troublesome to acquire components.
The firm’s navy aviation fleet dates again primarily to earlier than the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
IRNA revealed a picture by which it described Raisi taking off in a helicopter just like the Bell Helicopter with the blue and white paint scheme seen in beforehand revealed images.
Who is President Ebrahim Raisi?
Raisi received Iran’s 2021 presidential election, which had the bottom turnout within the Islamic Republic’s historical past. Raisi is underneath sanctions from the United States for his function within the mass execution of hundreds of political prisoners in 1988 on the finish of the bloody Iran-Iraq warfare.
Under Raisi, Iran is now enriching uranium to close weapons-grade ranges, impeding worldwide inspections. Iran has armed Russia in its warfare towards Ukraine and launched large drone and missile assaults towards Israel throughout its warfare with Hamas within the Gaza Strip.
It additionally continues to produce weapons to proxy teams within the Middle East, together with Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The months-long safety crackdown that adopted the demonstrations left greater than 500 folks useless and greater than 22,000 detained.
In March, a United Nations fee of inquiry held Iran liable for the “bodily violence” that led to Amini’s dying.