Israel reacts to death of Iran’s President in helicopter crash

An Israeli official stated on Monday that Israel had no involvement in the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and several members of his team.

“It wasn’t us,” the official, who requested anonymity, told a news agency. While condolence messages have been pouring in for Raisi from around the world, including from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israel had not issued a formal statement acknowledging the incident as of 13:00 IST.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a staunch supporter of the country’s supreme leader as well as Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts and significant drone-and-missile attacks on Israel, passed away at the age of 63.

Raisi’s unexpected death, along with Iran’s foreign minister and other officials, occurred in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran on Sunday. This tragedy comes at a time when Iran is grappling with internal dissent and complex global relations.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the supreme leader, has the final say on Iran’s foreign policy. However, Raisi presided over a state that continued its confrontational stance toward adversaries, particularly the U.S. and Israel.

Since the war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, Iran under Khamenei and Raisi maintained a delicate balance, supporting regional proxies against Israel and the United States while avoiding direct confrontation with these conventionally superior foes.

This balance was disrupted when, for the first time in history, Iran directly attacked Israel with drones and missiles in April, in retaliation for a strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.

Israel, with support from the U.S., Britain, Jordan, and other allies, intercepted almost all the incoming projectiles. In response, Israel reportedly struck an air defense radar system in the Iranian city of Isfahan. While the strike caused no casualties, it sent a clear message.

The two countries have engaged in a shadow war of covert operations and cyberattacks for years, but the exchange of fire in April marked their first direct military confrontation.