DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the rustic’s overseas minister have been discovered lifeless Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic with out two key leaders as abnormal tensions grip the broader Center East.Ideally suited Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the general say within the Shiite theocracy, briefly named a little-known vice chairman as caretaker and insisted the federal government used to be in keep watch over, however the deaths mark but some other blow to a rustic beset by way of pressures each at house and in a foreign country.Iran has introduced no purpose for the crash nor instructed sabotage introduced down the helicopter, which fell in mountainous terrain in a unexpected, intense fog.In Tehran, Iran’s capital, companies have been open and youngsters attended faculty Monday. Then again, there used to be a noticeable presence of each uniformed and plainclothes safety forces downtown.
The crash comes because the Israel-Hamas warfare roils the area. Iran-backed Hamas led the assault that began the warfare, and Hezbollah, additionally supported by way of Tehran, has fired rockets at Israel. Remaining month, Iran introduced its personal an unheard of drone-and-missile assault on Israel.
On this photograph equipped by way of Moj Information Company, rescue groups are observed close to the website of the incident of the helicopter wearing Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, Sunday, Would possibly 19, 2024. (Azin Haghighi, Moj Information Company by means of AP)
On this photograph equipped by way of Islamic Republic Information Company, IRNA, the helicopter wearing Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes to the air on the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Lady in Azeri, Iran, Sunday, Would possibly 19, 2024. (Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA by means of AP)
A troublesome-liner who previously led the rustic’s judiciary, Raisi used to be considered as a protege of Khamenei. Right through his tenure, family members have additionally endured to become worse with the West as Iran enriched uranium nearer than ever to weapons-grade ranges and provided bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its warfare in Ukraine.
His executive has additionally confronted years of mass protests over the in poor health economic system and ladies’s rights — making the instant that a lot more delicate.The crash killed all 8 other people aboard a Bell helicopter, which Iran bought within the early 2000s, consistent with the state-run IRNA information company reported. A number of the lifeless have been Iranian International Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, a senior cleric from Tabriz, a Innovative Guard legit, and 3 staff individuals, IRNA mentioned.
Iran has flown Bell helicopters widely for the reason that shah’s generation. However airplane in Iran face a scarcity of portions, partially on account of Western sanctions, and ceaselessly fly with out protection exams. Towards that backdrop, former Iranian International Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sought in charge the USA for the crash in an interview Monday.
“One of the vital major culprits of the day before today’s tragedy is the USA, which … embargoed the sale of airplane and aviation portions to Iran and does now not permit the folk of Iran to revel in excellent aviation amenities,” Zarif mentioned. “Those can be recorded within the listing of U.S. crimes in opposition to the Iranian other people.”State TV gave no rapid purpose for the crash that came about in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Pictures launched by way of IRNA early Monday confirmed what the company described because the crash website, throughout a steep valley in a inexperienced mountain vary.The U.S. has but to remark publicly on Raisi’s dying. Ali Bagheri Kani, a nuclear negotiator for Iran, will function the rustic’s performing overseas minister, state TV mentioned.
Condolences poured in from neighbors and allies after Iran showed there have been no survivors from the crash. Indian Top Minister Narendra Modi mentioned in a publish at the social media platform X that his nation “stands with Iran on this time of sorrow.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a observation launched by way of the Kremlin, described Raisi “as a real good friend of Russia.”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, China’s Xi Jinping and Syrian President Bashar Assad additionally introduced condolences. Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, mentioned he and his executive have been “deeply stunned.” Raisi, 63, used to be returning Sunday from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan, the place he inaugurated a dam with Aliyev when the crash came about.The dying additionally shocked Iranians, and Khamenei declared 5 days of public mourning. However many had been floor down by way of the cave in of the rustic’s rial forex and worries about regional conflicts spinning out of keep watch over with Israel and even with Pakistan, which Iran exchanged fireplace with this 12 months as smartly.
“He attempted to hold out his tasks smartly, however I don’t assume he used to be as a success as he will have to had been,” mentioned Mahrooz Mohammadi Zadeh, 53, a resident of Tehran. “He did perform his tasks, I’m now not announcing he didn’t, however he used to be slightly susceptible.”Khamenei wired the industry of Iran’s executive would proceed it doesn’t matter what — however Raisi’s dying raised the threat of what is going to occur after the 85-year-old preferrred chief both resigns or dies. Ultimate say in all issues of state relaxation together with his place of business and simplest two males have held the placement for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution.Raisi were mentioned as one conceivable contender for the function. The one different individual up to now instructed has been Khamenei’s 55-year-old son, Mojtaba. Then again, some have raised considerations over the placement going to a circle of relatives member, specifically after the revolution overthrew the hereditary Pahlavi monarchy of the shah.
For now, Khamenei has named the primary vice chairman, Mohammad Mokhber, as caretaker, in step with the charter, which says a brand new presidential election will have to be known as inside 50 days. Mokhber had already begun receiving calls from officers and overseas governments in Raisi’s absence, state media reported. An emergency assembly of Iran’s Cupboard used to be held as state media made the announcement Monday morning. The Cupboard issued a observation later on pledging it will apply Raisi’s trail and that “with the assistance of God and the folk, there can be no downside with control of the rustic.”Raisi received Iran’s 2021 presidential election, a vote that noticed the bottom turnout within the Islamic Republic’s historical past. He used to be sanctioned by way of the U.S. partially over his involvement within the mass execution of 1000’s of political prisoners in 1988 on the finish of the bloody Iran-Iraq warfare.Beneath Raisi, Iran now enriches uranium at just about weapons-grade ranges and hampers global inspections. Iran has armed Russia in its warfare on Ukraine, in addition to introduced a large drone-and-missile assault on Israel amid its warfare in opposition to Hamas within the Gaza Strip. It additionally has endured arming proxy teams within the Mideast, like Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. In the meantime, mass protests within the nation have raged for years. The newest concerned the 2022 dying of Mahsa Amini, a lady who were previous detained over her allegedly free headband, or hijab. The monthslong safety crackdown that adopted the demonstrations killed greater than 500 other people and noticed over 22,000 detained. In March, a United Countries investigative panel discovered that Iran used to be liable for the “bodily violence” that resulted in Amini’s dying. Raisi is the second one Iranian president to die in place of business. In 1981, a bomb blast killed President Mohammad Ali Rajai within the chaotic days after the rustic’s Islamic Revolution.___Associated Press creator Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this document.
