Hardliner Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was long viewed as the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s successor, died in a helicopter crash in steep terrain close to the border with Azerbaijan on Monday, according to officials and state media.
After a blizzard-caused overnight search, the scorched remains of the helicopter carrying Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Raisi was discovered early on Monday.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters, “President Raisi, the foreign minister, and all the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash,” requesting anonymity due to the delicate nature of the situation.
Later, Vice President Mohsen Mansouri confirmed Raisi’s passing on state television and in a social media statement.
The chopper carrying Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was totally charred in the incident on Sunday, an Iranian official previously told Reuters.
Although there was no official statement on the cause of the crash, State TV stated that photos from the scene showed the aircraft colliding with a mountain peak.
In the early hours of Monday morning, rescue crews battled through the night against blizzards and challenging terrain to arrive at the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province.
“We can observe the debris, and the circumstances do not appear favorable,” Pirhossein Kolivand, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent, stated on state television. “Since the crash site was found, there have been no signs of life found among the passengers in the helicopter.”
In addition to expressing his sincere condolences and sympathy to the people of Iran, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan would observe a day of mourning and display the flag at half mast.
“Had been watching events concerning President Raisi’s helicopter crash landing with trepidation.” Was expecting some positive news. Unfortunately, this was not meant to be,” the prime minister wrote on X.
He continued, saying, “The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage.”
PM Shehbaz mentioned Raisi’s “historic visit” to Pakistan less than a month ago in another post, saying, “They were good friends of Pakistan.”
Mohsin Naqvi, the interior minister, too sent his sympathies and mentioned how remarkable his recent meeting with the president of Iran was.
The prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, expressed his sorrow and sadness over Raisi’s untimely death.
“His contribution to enhancing the bilateral ties between Iran and India will never be forgotten. My sincere sympathies go out to his family and the Iranian people. India is standing behind Iran under these difficult time,” he wrote on X.
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.
In an effort to reassure Iranians, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say over all matters related to foreign policy and the country’s nuclear program, promised that state affairs would not be disrupted.
Following Raisi’s passing, the Iranian government will carry on “without the slightest disruption,” according to a cabinet statement released on Monday.
The statement emphasized that the government’s work will proceed “without the slightest disruption” and concluded, “We assure the loyal nation that the path of service will continue with the tireless spirit of Ayatollah Raisi.”
Intercessions and searches
According to Anadolu news agency earlier on X, a Turkish drone had located a source of heat that was likely the wreckage of the chopper and had given Iranian officials the location of the potential crash site.
US-made Bell 212 helicopters are what Raisi was reportedly piloting, according to state news agency IRNA.
The Iranian army’s chief of staff gave the order to employ all army and Revolutionary Guards resources 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 wee hours of Monday, showing a rescue squad crowded over a GPS unit while searching a snow-covered mountainside on foot in the dark. The team was dressed in colorful jackets and head torches.
We are thoroughly inspecting the entire vicinity of the collision, a regional army commander was cited by official media as saying. The weather in the area is gloomy, rainy, and quite chilly. Snow is progressively forming from the rain.
Numerous 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. China expressed its extreme worry. Satellite mapping technology for emergencies was provided by the European Union.
Hardliner, potential Khamenei successor
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.
Decades after Israel launched its invasion on Gaza in response to an attack by Iran’s partner Hamas on October 7, conflicts involving Iran-aligned organizations have risen across the Middle East.
In 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.
Raisi’s primary policies have been backed by Khamenei, who has made Raisi a strong candidate to succeed him for years. After eight years of pragmatist Hassan Rouhani holding the presidency and a nuclear deal reached with nations including Washington, Raisi’s victory in a carefully watched election in 2021 delivered hardliners control of all arms of government.
However, the massive demonstrations against clerical authority and Raisi’s inability to revive Iran’s economy due to Western sanctions may have damaged her 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.
