The world is coming to terms with the tragic death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in the mountains near the border of Azerbaijan. The fateful accident happened as Raisi and his entourage of ministers, including Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, were returning from Khoda Afarin region. They were returning in the US-made Bell 202 helicopter after inaugurating a dam at the border.
The incident comes just weeks after Iran launched a drone-and-missile attack on Israel, which has been warring Gaza’s Hamas following October 7 strike. The Iranian Red Crescent in an official statement confirmed that the bodies of the Iranian president and others who had been in the helicopter crash had been recovered.
Initial reports said there had been a ‘hard landing’.
What Caused the Tragic Iran Helicopter Crash?
With the region drowning in war, fingers were being pointed at Israel for the Iran helicopter crash given the recent tit for tat between the two countries. Bad weather conditions may have led to the tragic accident.
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Officials say there was rain and heavy dense fog in the area, and this made visibility difficulty during the flight. But some Iranians have not ruled out foul play. However, some say Israel has nothing to do with the helicopter crash as it would mean a direct act of war and confrontation. Over the year, Israel and the United Stated have carried out attacks on senior Iranian military officials, including Qasem Soleimani and commander of Kataib Hezbollah.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, former Iranian Foreign Minister, blamed Washington saying the US was one of the main culprits. He highlighted US sanctions on Iran
Who Was Ebrahim Raisi?
Raisi, 63, was seen as the black sheep which had crushed descent and people’s voices in Iran. He was a hard-line cleric and very close to the supreme leader – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi came to power in 2021.
Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, said Raisi was a pillar of a system that jailed, tortured and killed people for daring to criticize the state policies. The late Iranian president was against the West.
Mike Waltz, an American lawmaker, had harsh words for Raisi. He tweeted good riddance. The Florida politician described the late Iranian president as a murderous human rights abuser. He said the Iranian regime will blame Israel and the US for the assassination.
