In a major turn of events, state-run news agencies have reported that a helicopter carrying the Iranian regime’s president Ebrahim Raisi crashed in East Azerbaijan Province. According to initial reports, the convoy consisted of three helicopters. While two helicopters carrying other ministers and officials safely reached their destination, the one carrying Raisi did not.
The Fars News Agency confirmed that among the passengers were Raisi, Tabriz’s Friday prayer leader Mohammad-Ali Alehashem, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, and several others. Rescue teams are currently being dispatched to the crash site.
As of 5 PM local time, the helicopter carrying Raisi had not been located, and attempts to contact its passengers have been unsuccessful, with all phone lines going unanswered.
#Iran: A glance at Ebrahim Raisi’s background, known for his role in the 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners, clarifies who he is and why Khamenei has chosen him as the head of the Judiciary and possibly the future supreme leader #HumanRightshttps://t.co/lSng19uezK
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 27, 2020
State media outlets explicitly reported the crash of Raisi’s helicopter. Ahmad Vahidi, the regime’s Interior Minister, stated, “Rescue teams have not yet reached the accident site. We have no communication or information.”
In an interview with Rokna, Vahidi explained, “Today, we attended the inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi Dam with the President of Azerbaijan. On the return journey, one of the helicopters, due to adverse weather conditions and the situation in the area, was forced to make a hard landing.”
Search and rescue dogs and drones have been deployed to the crash area, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has urged Iranians to pray for Raisi’s survival. While the regime is broadcasting prayers in mosques and seminaries, urging people to pray for Raisi and his companions, Iranians at home and abroad have taken to social media, expressing hopes for their demise.
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— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 10, 2021
