In a tragic incident, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead following a suspicious helicopter crash in a mountainous and forested area in northwestern Iran.
The crash also claimed the life of hard-line Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
- The helicopter went down in the Dizmar forest, located between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Severe fog and rain were said to have significantly hampered search efforts, leaving the helicopter missing for several hours after the crash.
- Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is set to assume presidential powers following Raisi’s death. According to the Iranian constitution, the first vice president takes over presidential duties in the event of the president’s death or incapacity, with an election to be held within 50 days.
- Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, an experienced diplomat instrumental in the recent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, was among the notable officials who perished in the crash. Khamenei also declared five days of national mourning.
The Conversation: Regional and international leaders have swiftly offered condolences, including several countries in the Middle East, which offered assistance in locating the downed helicopter.
- “Seyed Ebrahim Raisi was an outstanding politician whose entire life was devoted to serving the Motherland…As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good neighborly relations between our countries and made great efforts to bring them to the level of strategic partnership,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Telegram post.
- “We have known His Eminence the martyr president closely for a long time, so he was a great brother to us, a strong support, and a steadfast defender of our causes and the causes of the nation, foremost among them being Jerusalem and Palestine, and a guardian of the resistance movements and their fighters in all the positions of responsibility he held,” read a statement by the Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah.
- “He exemplified a deep commitment to the welfare of his people and the dignity of his nation, which represents a proud and rich civilisation rooted in the principles of Islam. His dedication to justice, peace, and the upliftment of the ummah was truly inspiring. We committed ourselves to bolstering Malaysia-Iran relations, working together for the betterment of our peoples and the Muslim world. Our pledge will be fulfilled,” read a statement by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Why it’s important: Iran and its allies have suffered a suspicious uptick in terror attacks, incursions, and international incidents since the events of October 7th, with many accusing Israel and other Western Governments of foul play.
- In January, ‘Zionist fingerprints’ were said to be all over a terrorist attack that killed 100 people at Soleimani’s tomb. The bombing took place during a funeral commemorating the 4th-anniversary of the assassination of revered commander Qasem Soleimani just feet away from his tomb. A subsect of ISIS—long suspected to be an armed proxy for Western intelligence agencies—claimed responsibility.
- In April, the Iranian consulate in Syria was obliterated by an Israeli airstrike, killing at least seven officials, including top Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Reza Zahedi and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi. In the aftermath, Iran vowed revenge and launched a historic drone and missile attack against Israel itself.
- In March, Iranian ally Russia vowed “death for death” after a bloody terrorist attack in Moscow that left 140+ civilians dead. The perpetrators of the attack, who were caught attempting to flee over the border into embattled Ukraine, were suspected to have been outsourced by Western intelligence agencies, despite ISIS once again claiming responsibility.
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