Iran: Helicopter accident – ​​Army and Revolutionary Guards seek for President Raisi | EUROtoday

NAfter an accident involving a helicopter with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian on board, 40 rescue groups are trying to find the scene of the accident within the northwest of the nation. As Iranian state media reported on Sunday night (native time), the destiny of the nine-member crew was initially utterly unclear.

According to experiences in Iranian media, there was no contact with the president's staff, which fueled nice considerations amongst authorities supporters. The rescuers continued to look on foot in Iran's East Azerbaijan province even after darkish – within the rain in a mountainous area.

The 63-year-old Raisi was coming back from a gathering with the President of neighboring Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, together with Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian. Together they inaugurated a dam. It was meant to be an indication of cooperation after the connection between the neighboring nations was just lately tense. The helicopter then crashed in East Azerbaijan province. There had been 9 individuals on board, together with the governor and the Friday preacher from the provincial capital Tabris.

According to Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi, rescue staff didn’t have easy accessibility to the scene of the accident as a result of climate and the character of the terrain. There is subsequently no exact details about the state of affairs on web site. A reporter on state tv stood in thick fog throughout a reside broadcast from the province.

As darkness fell, the rescuers on web site feared that the search would turn out to be harder. Sniffer canines and drones had been additionally used within the search. As Iranian media reported, the scene of the accident is close to Jolfa – greater than 600 kilometers from the capital Tehran, near the border with Azerbaijan.

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The Iranian Armed Forces' chief of employees, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, ordered all out there military and Revolutionary Guard forces to be deployed to seek for the helicopter wreckage, in keeping with state TV. According to Iranian media experiences, these accountable anticipate to succeed in the crash web site throughout Sunday night.

The US State Department mentioned it was intently monitoring the experiences. US President Joe Biden was knowledgeable concerning the occasions. The European Union is monitoring the state of affairs, Council President Charles Michel wrote on Platform X. “We are closely following the reports that the helicopter with the Iranian President and Foreign Minister on board had to land unexpectedly.”

Big considerations amongst Raisi's supporters

In Raisi's hometown of Mashhad within the northeast of the nation, dozens of believers gathered on the central pilgrimage shrine, state radio reported. Supporters additionally flocked to mosques in different elements of the nation. There was nice concern that one thing may need occurred to Raisi and his overseas minister. On social media, nevertheless, there have been additionally many Iranians who had been blissful concerning the accident. Iran's authorities warned in opposition to unconfirmed info.

The nation's supreme religious chief has in the meantime known as on the inhabitants to not fear. “The Iranian people should not worry, there will be no interruption in the country's actions,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned on Sunday in a speech to households of Revolutionary Guardsmen broadcast on state tv. He hopes “that God will bring the president and his companions back into the arms of the nation.”

Iran's air drive is taken into account to be very outdated and its modernization is making little progress within the face of strict worldwide sanctions. Many planes and helicopters date from earlier than the Islamic Revolution of 1979, when the nation had shut relations with the United States. Serious accidents and crashes happen repeatedly.

Government is criticized for repressive insurance policies

Raisi was sworn in as Iran's new president in August 2021. The arch-conservative cleric formally grew to become the successor to Hassan Rouhani, who was now not allowed to run after two phrases in workplace. As the main candidate of the political hardliners and the popular candidate and protégé of the spiritual chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Raisi received the presidential election in June with virtually 62 p.c of the vote. His authorities is criticized for its repressive insurance policies and the financial disaster.

Born in Mashhad in 1960, Raisi is taken into account very influential throughout the Islamic system. He maintains an in depth relationship with Khamenei. Raisi labored within the judiciary for over three many years and was appointed head of the judiciary in 2019. In his earlier function as public prosecutor, he’s mentioned to have been liable for quite a few arrests and executions of political dissidents in 1988, which earned him the title “Butcher of Tehran” from his opponents. According to the structure, Raisi is head of presidency, Khamenei is extra highly effective as head of state and has the ultimate say in all strategic issues.

Experts had in the meantime additionally handled Raisi as a doable successor to Khamenei, who turned 85 in April. Domestically – though criticism from the younger technology is now more and more directed in opposition to your complete system of the Islamic Republic – Raisi was continually beneath stress. Most just lately, the federal government pushed ahead its controversial course in pursuing obligatory headscarves.

According to the Irna information company, Khamenei known as on the inhabitants on Sunday night to not be nervous or afraid. “There will be no disruption to government business,” he assured. State affairs wouldn’t be affected by the incident. Khamenei mentioned he was praying for Raisi's security.

If Raisi and Amirabdollahian had been killed within the accident, the Islamic Republic could possibly be plunged right into a home and overseas coverage disaster. Iran's overseas minister specifically has been extra within the public eye for the reason that starting of the Gaza struggle and has been a visitor of allies on quite a few journeys. It may also be tough for the state management to shortly substitute the pinnacle of presidency because of a scarcity of options.