Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian are missing following the Sunday crash of their helicopter. The Iranian leaders were returning from a visit to Iran's border with Azerbaijan in northwest Iran when their helicopter went down while flying in mountainous terrain in heavy fog.
The terrain and weather are hamstringing search and recovery efforts, and the site of the wreck has yet to be located.
Dark, rainy and foggy. And it’s about to get worse.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 19, 2024
Still no trace of Iranian President Raisi’s crashed helicopter. pic.twitter.com/ilpMUlbzft
HAPPENING NOW: Iranian rescue teams are currently searching for the helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi which reportedly crashed on Sunday.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 19, 2024
The teams could be seen searching through thick fog on mountain roads and hillsides.
Iranian state media is currently calling on… pic.twitter.com/l3wGTnsnbv
If Raisi is dead, and a frail, old man's chances of surviving a helicopter crash and prolonged exposure to the elements aren't terribly great, this will shake up the strategic situation in the region as the Iranian power centers jockey for position.
My thoughts are with the @washingtonpost obituary team in this difficult time as they fiercely debate whether to call Ebrahim Raisi an “austere religious scholar”, a “patriotic anti-Zionist leader” or a “zealous anti-corruption crusader”.
— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) May 19, 2024
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