Iran officially confirmed on Monday that President Ebrahim Raisi, along with the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and all others on board, were killed in the helicopter crash that occurred on Sunday.
The death of the president and others was confirmed by Vice President Mohsen Mansouri in a statement on social media and state television.
“Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azarbaijan Province’s Governor Malek Rahmati, and Mehdi Mousavi, the head of Raisi’s guard team, were on board the crashed aircraft as well,” stated the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
It added that Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem, the Supreme Leader’s representative in the East Azerbaijan province, also accompanied President Raisi and other officials.
Accident or murder?
On Sunday, Iranian state television reported that the helicopter carrying Raisi had an “accident” in the Jolfa region of East Azerbaijan province amid poor weather conditions. The accident occurred in the mountainous protected forest area of Dizmar near the town of Varzaghan. Raisi had earlier inaugurated a dam project with his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, on the border between the two countries. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi described the accident as a “hard landing due to the weather conditions”. Raisi’s convoy comprised three helicopters, including two that landed safely in the northwestern city of Tabriz.
Though initial reports attributed the accident to bad weather, questions are being raised about any conspiracy behind the incident. It’s not uncommon for conspiracy theories to arise in such situations, especially considering the current tensions between Iran and Israel, as well as the USA. While social media discussions speculate on the alleged involvement of Israel or the USA, so far Iran has attributed the incident solely to bad weather.
In recent months, Iran and Israel have engaged in attacks on each other’s targets, escalating tensions between the two countries. President Raisi’s firm stance on the Palestine-Israel issue and Israel’s recent attacks on Gaza have further strained relations. Israel accuses Iran of supporting Hamas, while Iran’s allied Houthis of Yemen have also posed challenges to Israel and the USA in the Red Sea.
Given these circumstances, the possibility of a conspiracy behind the helicopter crash cannot be dismissed. However, the true cause of the incident will only be revealed after a thorough investigation.
