By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was feared dead after his helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province, though some expressed hope as contact was made with the aircraft.
The national broadcaster stopped its regular programming to show prayers being held for Raisi across the Islamic Republic while live coverage of rescue teams combing the mountains played in a corner of the screen.
Authorities initially said the aircraft had a “rough landing,” the term used for what appeared to be a crash.
Traveling with Raisi were Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, and other officials and bodyguards, state-run media reported.
Officials were careful with their wording, saying Raisi’s life and that of other leaders on board were “at risk.”
However, in a significant development, “Contact has been made with a passenger and a crew member of the Iranian president’s helicopter,” an official told state TV. The unnamed official said contact had been made several times, which some described as “a moment of hope.”
Sunday’s accident happened near Jolfa, the Iranian city on the border of Azerbaijani exclave Nakhchivan, some 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of Iran’s capital Tehran.
OLD HELICOPTER
The helicopter the officials were flying in was a Bell 212 acquired by the Iranian military in the 1970s, during the last years of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s reign, Worthy News learned.
One local government official used the word “crash” to describe the incident with the decades-old aircraft, but he told an Iranian newspaper he had yet to reach the site himself.
Yet rescuers struggled to reach the accident site as poor weather conditions reportedly hampered their efforts. “We are still hopeful, but information coming from the crash site is very concerning,” an official said, speaking anonymously.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran said, “Despite adverse weather and environmental conditions, efforts by rescue teams to reach the accident site continue earnestly and with hope.”
The ministry added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran sincerely thanks the numerous governments, nations, and international organizations for their expressions of human emotion and solidarity with the government and people of Iran, as well as their offers of help and assistance for the search and rescue operation.”
A rescue helicopter tried to reach the area where authorities believed the aircraft was, but it couldn’t land due to heavy mist, emergency services’ spokesman Babak Yektaparast told Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
Late in the evening, Turkey’s defense ministry announced that it had sent a drone to help and was preparing to send a helicopter with night vision capabilities.
DELICATE MOMENT
The incident comes at a delicate moment when the Islamic Republic faces tensions with Israel and supports groups attacking the Jewish nation.
Raisi, 63, became president in what critics view as a historically uncompetitive election in 2021.
Previously the country’s chief justice, he oversaw intensified repression of dissent when hundreds died in anti-government protests and up to 20,000 weeks detained, human rights monitors say.
More than 100 of them are facing death sentences, and numerous demonstrators have already been executed, according to rights activists.
Yet Russia, Iraq, and Qatar have expressed “concern” about Ebrahim Raisi’s fate and offered “to assist” in the search operations.
The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, said he was “deeply concerned” to hear of the incident. He also said his country was ready to provide any support necessary.
Saudi Arabia, which is traditionally a rival of Iran, expressed its concern in a statement and said it “stands by Iran in these difficult circumstances.”
There was no immediate official reaction from Israel, which under Raisi was recently attacked by hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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