Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, FM Amir-Abdollahian killed in helicopter crash

The helicopter crashed as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog, while Raisi, the foreign minister and other officials were on their way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan in Iran’s northwest.

A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi takes off, near the Iran-Azerbaijan border, May 19, 2024. (Reuters)

Raisi’s death comes at a time when Iran is already facing several challenges, with dissent over a range of political and economic issues. The Iranian government face international pressure over its ally Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023, as well as its deepening military ties with Russia during the war with Ukraine.

The hardline leader took a tough stance in nuclear negotiations with the world leaders, as Iran enriched its uranium near weapons-grade levels. He also oversaw the launch of an aerial attack on Israel last month, in response to the killing of senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers in Iran’s embassy in Damascus.

Here’s what we know: 

🔴 While no official cause has been given yet, authorities said that bad weather may have led to the crash of the US-made Bell 212 helicopter.

🔴  The helicopter also carried the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

🔴 All resources of the Iranian army and the elite Revolutionary Guards were put to use for the search and rescue operations.

🔴 According to the Anadolu news agency, a Turkish drone helped in identifying the source of heat suspected to be from the helicopter’s wreckage, and shared the coordinates of the possible site of crash — 20 kilometers south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border — with the Iranian officials.

•⁠ ⁠Search and rescue operations continue in the mountainous terrain of northwestern Iran for President Raisi and his delegation

Türkiye’s Akinci UAV participates in the operations, detecting heat source, possibly wreckage of helicopter carrying Iranian president… pic.twitter.com/toQpJlab7N

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) May 20, 2024

🔴 Prayers were held across the country, while the state TV live-streamed rescue operations in the mountains.

Iranian Shi’ite pilgrims pray for Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, following the crash of a helicopter carrying him, at the Imam Ali shrine in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq May 19, 2024. (Reuters)

🔴 Elections for the next president must be held within next 50 days. The vice president will take charge as the interim president with confirmation from the supreme leader.

— with agencies’ inputs