Helicopter with Iranian President Raisi crashes: details are known

On Sunday, May 19, a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi crashed in the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan. He was also accompanied by the Imam of the Friday Prayer of Tabriz, Seyyed Mohammad Ali Al-Hashem, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

The breaking news was reported by the Associated Press, Al Arabiya, and Iran's semi-official Tasnim media outlet. It is noted that the helicopter made a hard landing. In total, there were three helicopters in the convoy, two of which were carrying ministers and officials, and they successfully arrived at their destination.

According to the Tasnim news agency, the president's satellites on board were able to contact the central headquarters, so there is hope that the incident could have ended without casualties.

According to media reports, the incident occurred near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometers northwest of the Iranian capital Tehran. Iran's state television reported that rescuers allegedly tried to reach the scene but were hampered by bad weather conditions in the area. Heavy rain with little wind was reported.

Iran's SNN news agency claims that the helicopter allegedly landed due to fog and the president's convoy is heading to the city of Tabriz in Iran . Later, Mehr news agency also confirmed this information, noting that Raisi was fine. Other media outlets report that the details and condition of the passengers are still unknown.

63-year-old Ibrahim Raisi won the 2021 presidential election in Iran. The elections recorded the lowest turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic. Raisi is under US sanctions in part for his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war.

Under Raisi's leadership, Iran is now enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels and obstructing international inspections. Iran has armed Russia in its war against Ukraine, and launched a massive drone and missile strike against Israel during its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It also continues to arm proxy groups in the Middle East, such as Yemen's Houthi rebels and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- In April, two Royal Navy helicopters collided in the air in Malaysia during a rehearsal for a military parade. At least ten people were killed in the crash.

- Also in Kenya, the army commander-in-chief, General Francis Omondi Ogolla, was killed in a military helicopter crash. He was in the helicopter with 11 senior military personnel.

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