What's happened
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have died in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province. The helicopter, which took off from the Khodaafarin Dam, lost contact in foggy and mountainous terrain. Rescue teams located the crash site after a 15-hour search, confirming no survivors. The crash, attributed to poor weather conditions, has left Iran in a state of mourning and political uncertainty.
What's behind the headline?
What the papers say
According to The Independent, Raisi's helicopter crashed in the Arasbaran Forest due to poor weather conditions. The New York Times highlighted the extensive search and rescue efforts, involving about 2,000 people, and the eventual discovery of the crash site. Al Jazeera reported on the public mourning and the government's assurance of continued operations. The Guardian provided details on the interim appointments and the announcement of a five-day public mourning period by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
How we got here
Ebrahim Raisi, elected president in 2021, was a prominent figure in Iran's political landscape, known for his hardline stance and close ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi's administration was marked by a crackdown on anti-government protests and a tougher approach to nuclear negotiations. The helicopter crash occurred as Raisi and his delegation were returning from the inauguration of a joint dam project with Azerbaijan. The crash site, located in a remote and mountainous region, posed significant challenges for rescue teams due to adverse weather conditions.
Go deeper
- What were the key policies of President Raisi?
- How will Raisi's death impact Iran's nuclear negotiations?
- Who is Mohammad Mokhber, the interim president?
Common question
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Sayyid Ebrahim Raisol-Sadati, commonly known as Ebrahim Raisi, is an Iranian politician, Muslim cleric and the current Chief Justice of Iran, having been appointed on 7 March 2019.
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Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a
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Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei is a Twelver Shia Marja' and the second and current supreme leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989.
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Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, A