Iran President Helicopter Crash Highlights: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian have been declared dead following a helicopter crash on Sunday, Reuters reported, citing Iranian officials. Search teams found the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province. Vice president Mansouri confirmed the news on his social media platofrm X.
Who will be Iran’s Interim President?
According to Article 131 of the Iran’s constitution, if a president dies in office, the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, is supposed to take over with the confirmation of the supreme leader, a Reuters report said.
The Iranian state media on Monday morning stated that there were no surviors in the crash as the choppers was found completely burnt. There were reports that Raisi’s chopper had a “hard landing” on Sunday. The incident raised concerns and prompted requests for public prayers as rescue crews hurried through a misty rural forest to find the aircraft. The incident occurred in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran; it was first reported close to Jolfa, an Azerbaijani border city, around 600 km northwest of Tehran.
Here’s the highlights on Iran’s helicopter crash:
Here’s highlights on Iran’s helicopter crash:
Rescuers on Monday found a helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials that had apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran the day before. As the sun rose Monday, rescuers saw the helicopter from a distance of some 2 kilometers (1.25 miles), the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, told state media.
(AP)
The Iranian Red Crescent in a statement said, “Red Crescent search and rescue teams have reached the crash site of the helicopter carrying the president.”
Russia is ready to extend help to Iran in connection with the helicopter crash that had President Raisi aboard, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told RIA News Agency.
(Reuters)
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it was following developments in Sunday’s Iran helicopter accident with sadness and hoping for the president’s wellbeing, adding that action had been taken to provide all kinds of support to search and rescue activities.
“We hope that the Iranian officials, including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian are safe and healthy,” it said in a statement.
(Reuters)
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
“We are closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
A spokesperson for President Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters aboard Air Force One that the president had been briefed on the situation. She did not elaborate.
(Reuters)
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei assures the public: “No disruption will occur in Iran’s state affairs,” urging people not to worry or be anxious. (Reuters)
Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei prays for President Raisi’s safety after helicopter crash – IRNA. (Reuters)
Here’s what he wrote on his X account.
https://x.com/CMShehbaz/status/1792228265379377470
Iranian state media said bad weather was the cause of the crash and was complicating rescue efforts. The chief of staff of Iran’s army ordered all the resources of the army and the elite Revolutionary Guard to be put to use in search and rescue operations.
“It is dark and it has started raining, but the search continues. Rescue teams have reached the area … however, the rain has created mud, making the search difficult,” a local reporter told state TV.
State TV had earlier stopped all its regular programming to show prayers being held for Raisi across the country and, in a corner of the screen, live coverage of rescue teams deployed on foot in the mountainous area in heavy fog. (Reuters)
Iran’s news agency ISNA shares last photo of the helicopter carrying President Raisi.
https://x.com/isna_farsi/status/1792217190277562653
Iranian state television said that the crash was due to adverse weather conditions. Moreover, injury or death of passengers can’t be confirmed, the state TV added.
Travelling with Raisi were Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. (AP)