It can be seen as certain that Iran’s President Raisi was on board the helicopter that crashed. But much remains unclear. According to Vice President Mansuri, there was contact with two inmates. Aid workers denied that the helicopter had been found.
A search has been underway for hours for a helicopter from the Iranian presidential fleet that is believed to have had an accident in the remote border area with Azerbaijan. But even in the evening there was hardly any reliable information.
After the state-run media reported and called for prayers from leading regime officials, it can be assumed that President Ebrahim Raisi was indeed on board the helicopter. In addition to Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was also in the helicopter. But how they are doing is unclear.
Red Crescent: Helicopter not found
Even after dark, rescue teams continued to search – under difficult conditions and largely on foot: the area is mountainous and remote, and the weather is bad.
Iran’s Vice President Mohsen Mansuri said late in the evening on state television that rescuers had been able to make contact with two of the passengers. The politician did not provide any further details. The Red Crescent aid organization denied reports that the helicopter had been found.
“Hard landing”
Interior Minister Ahmed Wahidi said early in the evening that the search in the East Azerbaijan province was difficult because of the “unfavorable weather conditions” with thick fog.
The minister did not initially confirm that Raisi was actually on board the helicopter, which was part of a convoy of three helicopters belonging to the presidential delegation and is believed to have been crashed. Minister Wahidi spoke of a “hard landing”. Two of the helicopters landed safely in the northwestern city of Tabriz, and a search is underway for the third.
EU provides geodata to Iran
A number of countries have now offered help to Iran – including Russia, Turkey and Iraq.
The European Commission is also supporting Iran in its search for the site of the accident. The EU Commissioner Janez Lenarcic, who is responsible for EU crisis aid, wrote in the evening on Platform The service claims to provide detailed, on-demand information for emergency situations by providing satellite-based geodata and images.
Pictures of the search operation in the mountainous region can be seen on Iranian television.
Khamenei: “No interruption government business”
The country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also spoke in the evening. “Regarding today’s worrying incident, I say that we hope that our dear President will recover and return to the arms of the nation,” Khamenei said.
The Iranian constitution stipulates that the vice president takes over the president’s affairs in the event of illness or death. After ARD information The National Security Council has already met – a sign that the successor is being discussed. But Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also had a clear message for this case: There will be “no interruption of government business,” assured the spiritual leader of the Islamic Republic.
President since summer 2021
President Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, was returning from a meeting with the President of neighboring Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Together they inaugurated a dam. It was intended to be a sign of cooperation after the relationship between the neighboring countries was recently tense.
Raisi has been President of the Islamic Republic of Iran since summer 2021. The 63-year-old is considered a hardliner. He had ordered the bloody crackdown on nationwide protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody a year and a half ago. The so-called morality police arrested her because she was said to have worn her headscarf incorrectly. He also stands for a tough stance in international negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s controversial nuclear program.
With information from Benjamin Weber, ARD Studio Istanbul