Iran’s President Raisi & Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian Killed In Helicopter Crash

Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:30 A.M. ET. By Jennifer Hodges: Englebrook Independent News,

TEHRAN, IR.- Iranian State Media has confirmed that Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were killed in a helicopter crash Sunday evening as they were returning from the Azerbaijan Republic.

     There were no signs of life at the crash site of the helicopter that carried the President, Amirabdollahian, and others, Iranian state television reported on Monday.

     Raisi was returning following the inauguration of a dam on Iran’s border with the Azerbaijan Republic when his helicopter went down in what was first reported as a hard landing in northern Iran’s Varzaaqan Region, according to Iran’s State News Agency. East Azerbaijan’s governor, Malik Rahmati, and Raisi’s security team were also in the helicopter.

     Sunday evening’s crash comes as the Middle East remains uncertain as the Israel-Hamas war continues, during which time Raisi under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Israel last month. Under Raisi’s reign, Iran has enriched uranium ever closer to weapons-grade levels, increasing tensions with the West. Iran has also supplied bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war with Ukraine. Tehran has also been arming Militia Proxy Groups across the region.

     Further, Iran has faced years of mass protests against its Shiite religious rule, with an ailing economy and women’s rights. Sunday’s crash might cause tensions for Tehran and the future of the country.

     Early Monday morning, Turkish authorities released apparent drone footage showing what appeared to be a fire in a densely wooded area which they said was the wreckage of the helicopter. The drone footage put the fire just 20 kilometers or 12 miles south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border on the side of a steep mountain, part of the Green Mountain range in Iran.

     With the death of Raisi, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will become the next President and has already begun receiving calls from officials and foreign governments, state media reported. A new presidential election would be called within the next 50 days.

     State media made an announcement that an emergency meeting of Iran’s Cabinet was held Monday morning. The Cabinet issued a statement pledging it would follow Raisi’s path and that “with the help of God and the people, there will be no problem with the management of the country.”