THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS
UPDATE: 9:30 PM
EU Official Triggers Backlash after Vowing ‘Solidarity’ with Iran
The European commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarčič insisted he was not offering “political support” to the Iranian regime after ending a post confirming the provision of satellite assistance to Iranian rescuers with “#EUSolidarity.”
The rescuers were responding to reports Sunday that a helicopter, carrying President Ebrahim Raisi and other top Iranian officials, had crashed near the border in a densely wooded, mountainous region near the border with Azerbaijan. Raisi, president of Iran since 2021 and considered a potential successor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed dead Monday morning.
As countries in Iran’s neighborhood lined up to offer assistance locating the crash site, Lenarčič had announced on X that the EU was activating its Copernicus emergency satellite mapping service to help find the downed helicopter. He ended his tweet with the tag #EUSolidarity — prompting an immediate backlash.
Dozens of accounts slammed the post, pointing to Raisi’s prominent role in the regime which has executed thousands of Iranians, the country’s sponsorship of terror, the use of Shahed drones to terrorize Ukrainian civilians, and Tehran’s detention of Swedish EU official Johan Floderus.
Iranian Opposition: Death Of Raisi Is ‘Monumental and Strategic Blow to Khamenei’
The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash “is a monumental and strategic blow to (Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei.” This is how the Iranian opposition, also known as the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), reacted on Monday. The death will trigger a “series of repercussions and crises within religious tyranny that will spur the young insurgents into action,” Maryam Rajavi, president of the NCRI, said in a statement.
Raisi is anything but an uncontroversial figure. After the revolution, he entered the judiciary and held the position of deputy prosecutor in Tehran from 1985 to 1988, a position that links him to the thousands of executions of political prisoners in Iran in the 1980s. Rajavi therefore calls him the “perpetrator of the massacre of political prisoners in 1988”.
UPDATE: 7:30 PM
Helicopter Crash Is Huge Blow To Regime And Will ‘Spur Rebellious Youths Into Action’, Says Resistance Group
The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a disastrous helicopter crash yesterday could trigger a crisis in the country and spur those who detest the regime into action, the leader of a resistance group has claimed.
Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), described the crash in Iran’s northwest that killed Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and seven others as an ‘irreparable blow’ to the country’s mullahs.
‘This represents a monumental and irreparable strategic blow to the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the entire regime, notorious for its executions and massacres,’ Rajavi said.
Iranian Resistance Celebrates Death Of President Raisi In Berlin
After the death of Iranian head of state Ebrahim Raisi, numerous Iranians celebrated in front of the country’s embassy in Berlin on Monday morning. The German office of the National Council of Resistance Iran which has its headquarters in Berlin, had called for protests nationwide – including in the capital. Members of the Berlin office of the Resistance Council took Raisi’s death as an occasion for a meeting in front of the state representation in Dahlem.
Almost 50 people had responded to the call and had gathered in front of the Iranian embassy. The demonstrators had drums with them, waved Iranian flags and shouted “Down with Khamenei” and “Down with the mullah regime“. A passing car honked its horn. The police secured the event.
Ebrahim Raisi Called Me A Terrorist (After I Survived an Iranian Plot to Blow Me Up) – Struan Stevenson
It is somewhat ironic that Ebrahim Raisi, the “Butcher of Tehran”, met his end in an American helicopter. When the US-made Bell 212 helicopter plummeted into a mountainside in northern Iran on Sunday, it ended the life of one of the greatest criminals in Iranian history. For him, it was a fittingly fiery end to a murderous career.
I’ve been a key supporter of the democratic Iranian opposition movement and a target for the mullahs’ regime for more than 20 years. It sent a registered diplomat – Assadollah Assadi – with instructions to detonate a bomb at an opposition rally I attended in Paris in June 2018. Fortunately, Assadi and three co-conspirators were arrested and sentenced to decades of imprisonment as terrorists. Assadi was then disgracefully sent back to a hero’s welcome in Tehran in an outrageous prisoner-swap deal, in exchange for a young Belgian charity worker taken hostage by the mullahs.
UPDATE: 12:00 PM
Reactions To The Death Of Iran’s President in A Helicopter Crash
May 20 (Reuters) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner long seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday.
The helicopter was also carrying Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew.
Here are reactions to the news:
MARYAM RAJAVI, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE PARIS-BASED NATIONAL COUNCIL OF RESISTANCE OF IRAN OPPOSITION GROUP, IN A STATEMENT: “This represents a monumental and irreparable strategic blow to the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the entire regime, notorious for its executions and massacres.
“It will trigger a series of repercussions and crises within theocratic tyranny, which will spur rebellious youths into action.
“The curse of mothers and those seeking justice for the executed, along with the damnation of the Iranian people and history, mark the legacy of Ebrahim Raisi, the notorious perpetrator of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners.”
Exiled Opposition Group Says Raisi Death ‘Monumental Blow’ to Iran
The death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash is a major blow to the Islamic Republic’s clerical leadership, an exiled opposition group said Monday, predicting a succession of crises.
The People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) and its political wing the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) have long detested Raisi, accusing him of involvement in the 1988 mass executions of thousands of their members and other dissidents when he was a young prosecutor.
Raisi’s death “represents a monumental and irreparable strategic blow to the mullahs’ supreme leader Ali Khamenei and the entire regime, notorious for its executions and massacres”, NCRI leader Maryam Rajavi said in a statement.
Death of President in Helicopter Crash Comes as Iran Already Faces Huge Challenges
In the country’s hydra-headed leadership where power is spread in often opaque ways between clerics, politicians and army, it is the supreme leader, and not the president, that is ultimately decisive.
Older Iranians revile Raisi for his role as deputy prosecutor in Tehran in 1988 when, at the age of 28, he played a prominent role in a movement that killed as many as 30,000 political prisoners, mostly members of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation in Iran (MEK).
UPDATE: 7:30 AM
Regime’s President Ebrahim Raisi Confirmed Dead in Helicopter Crash
Following hours of speculation and delay, the Iranian regime’s state television has officially announced the death of Ebrahim Raisi and those accompanying him on a helicopter flight that crashed in East Azerbaijan Province earlier today.
In his first public appearance following Raisi’s helicopter crash, the Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, sought to prevent a morale breakdown among his forces and urged state officials to ensure that no unrest occurs. State media reported Khamenei speaking at a meeting with a handpicked crowd of IRGC family members, saying: “We hope that God Almighty does not deprive the country of the blessing of the President’s and his companions’ service. However, the dear people should be assured that officials are working with redoubled effort, and we have given them the necessary recommendations. The Iranian nation should not worry or be anxious; no disruption will occur in the country’s affairs.”
Maryam Rajavi: Raisi’s Death Delivers Strategic Blow to Khamenei, Sparking Crises and Youth Rebellion in Iran
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi: Ebrahim Raisi’s death deals a monumental, strategic blow to Khamenei, triggering a series of repercussions, crises within theocratic tyranny that spurs rebellious youth into action
Following the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the clerical regime’s President, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), stated: This represents a monumental and irreparable strategic blow to the mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the entire regime, notorious for its executions and massacres. It will trigger a series of repercussions and crises within theocratic tyranny, which will spur rebellious youths into action, she said.
PMOI Resistance Units Expand Activities across Iran
Despite the Iranian regime’s wave of executions and repressive measures, the Resistance Units of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) are expanding their activities across every city and corner of Iran. These courageous activists are reiterating their commitment to overthrow the ruling theocracy and establish a democratic, secular republic based on the separation of religion and state.
The Resistance Units reject all forms of dictatorship, whether the shah’s monarchical regime or the mullahs’ religious tyranny. They express unwavering support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the ten-point plan of its president-elect Maryam Rajavi, which derives its legitimacy solely from the ballot box.
Iran: Protests by Retired Teachers, Steel Workers, and Other Sectors
A wave of protests swept across Iran on Sunday, May 19, reflecting deep unrest among retirees, working populations, and families grappling with welfare issues. From the capital, Tehran, to cities such as Kerman, Ahvaz, and Mashhad, demonstrators from various sectors took to the streets to express their frustrations and demand change. In Tehran, retired teachers organized a large demonstration outside the Planning and Budget Organization to express their dissatisfaction with unmet demands. The protests were marked by significant participation and conveyed feelings of neglect from government officials. Security forces also thwarted attempts by teachers from Marivan to join the protest, highlighting tensions between the protesters and state security.
The Environmental Calamity in Mashhad: A Result of Government Neglect
Spring, a season synonymous with renewal and growth across the globe, descends upon Iran as a deadly threat. The recent floods in Mashhad serve as a stark reminder of the perilous consequences of environmental neglect and the rapacious exploitation of natural resources by the Iranian regime and its affiliates.
Official reports acknowledge significant damage and casualties in Mashhad due to the floods. Harrowing images and videos circulating on social media paint a vivid picture of the devastation and the plight of the victims. However, rather than accepting responsibility and offering aid, government officials have resorted to denial and minimization. In a baffling statement, the crisis manager of Mashhad labeled the flood as “minor” and dismissed the damaged vehicles as “cardboard.”
International Energy Agency: Iran Producing 3.3mn Barrels of Oil Per Day
According to the latest monthly report by the International Energy Agency, Iran’s daily oil production in the month of April reached 3.3 million barrels, which is 75,000 barrels more than March.
The statistics archive of this international agency shows that since the beginning of 2024, Iran’s daily oil production has increased by 150,000 barrels.
Before the US sanctions in 2018, Iran had a daily oil production of 3.8 million barrels, but this figure dropped to below 2 million barrels in 2020. Since the Biden administration took office, Iran’s oil production has experienced significant growth due to consecutive increases in exports.
Iran’s Regime Cuts Government Aid to Thousands of Disabled People
Behrooz Morovati, an activist for disability rights and the director of the 19 May Disabilities Campaign, announced that “this month,” the pensions of tens of thousands of beneficiaries of the Welfare Organization, who had been receiving pensions until March, have been cut by the Targeted Subsidies Organization without any explanation. The director of the Disabilities Campaign told the regime’s ILNA news agency that, based on reports received by the campaign and the Beneficiaries News Channel, the “massive pension cuts” have affected about 20 percent of the Welfare Organization’s beneficiaries for “two consecutive months.”
Copenhagen, Denmark—May 18, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Copenhagen, Denmark—May 18, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) organized a rally and exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution, while also protesting against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
Berlin, Germany—May 17, 2024: MEK Supporters Rally and Exhibition in Solidarity With the Iranian Revolution
Berlin, Germany—May 17, 2024: Freedom-loving Iranians and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally and exhibition to express solidarity with the Iranian Revolution, while also protesting against the increasing wave of executions by the Iranian regime.
Also, read Iran News in Brief – May 19, 2024