Tehran/Baku: In a significant turn of events, Iranian state TV reported on Sunday that one helicopter from a convoy of three, carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, was involved in an accident. However, no further details about the incident were provided by the state TV.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Raisi had earlier met with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, and jointly inaugurated the Qiz Qalasi Dam, which was built in collaboration between the two countries. The incident occurred while Raisi was travelling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, near Jolfa, a city situated on the border with Azerbaijan, approximately 600 kilometers northwest of Tehran.
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State TV reported that rescue operations were underway but had been hindered by adverse weather conditions in the area, including heavy rain and strong winds.
Iran operates various helicopters domestically, but international sanctions pose challenges in obtaining spare parts for maintenance. The country’s military air fleet predominantly consists of aircraft dating back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Who is Ebrahim Raisi?
Raisi, aged 63, is a hard-liner who previously served as the head of Iran’s judiciary. Regarded as a protege of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Raisi has been speculated by some analysts as a potential successor to the 85-year-old leader in the event of his death or resignation.
Raisi emerged victorious in Iran’s 2021 presidential election, which recorded the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. He faces U.S. sanctions, partly due to his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, towards the end of the Iran-Iraq war.
Under Raisi’s leadership, Iran has escalated its uranium enrichment to nearly weapons-grade levels and impeded international inspections. Additionally, Iran has reportedly supported Russia in the conflict with Ukraine, conducted significant drone and missile attacks on Israel during its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and continued to arm proxy groups across the Middle East, including Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
