Helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi crashes, search under way

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi crashes, search under way

DUBAI, May 20 (Reuters) - A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed on Sunday as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog, an Iranian official told Reuters, and rescuers were struggling to reach the site of the incident.

The official said the lives of Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were "at risk following the helicopter crash", which happened on the way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan in Iran's northwest.

"We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning," the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
State TV quoted an official as saying at least one passenger and one crew member had been in contact with rescuers.

A Turkish drone identified a source of heat suspected to be the helicopter's wreckage and had shared the coordinates of the possible crash site with Iranian authorities, Anadolu news agency said on X.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran's nuclear programme, sought to reassure Iranians, saying there would be no disruption to state affairs.

Iranian state media said bad weather caused the crash and was complicating rescue efforts. State news agency IRNA said Raisi was flying in a U.S.-made Bell 212 helicopter.

The chief of staff of Iran's army ordered all resources of the army and the elite Revolutionary Guards to be put to use in search and rescue operations.

Earlier, the national broadcaster had stopped all regular programming to show prayers being held for Raisi across the country.
In the early hours of Monday, it showed a rescue team, wearing bright jackets and head torches, huddled around a GPS device as they searched a pitch-black mountainside on foot amid a snowy blizzard.

“We are thoroughly searching every inch of the general area of the crash," state media quoted a regional army commander as saying. "The area has very cold, rainy, and foggy weather conditions. The rain is gradually turning into snow."

Neighbouring countries expressed concern and offered assistance in any rescue. The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden had been briefed on reports about the crash. Turkey said it had assigned a drone, a helicopter, vehicles and a rescue team after a request by Iranian authorities. The European Union offered emergency satellite mapping technology.

The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises. Iran's clerical rulers face international pressure over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme and its deepening military ties with Russia during the war in Ukraine.

Since Iran's ally Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, provoking Israel's assault on Gaza, conflagrations involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East.

Raisi, 63, was elected president in 2021, and since taking office has ordered a tightening of morality laws, overseen a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests and pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers.

In Iran's dual political system, split between the clerical establishment and the government, it is Raisi's 85-year-old mentor Khamenei, supreme leader since 1989, who holds decision-making power on all major policies.

For years many have seen Raisi as a strong contender to succeed Khamenei, who has endorsed Raisi's main policies.

Raisi's victory in a closely managed election in 2021 brought all branches of power under the control of hardliners, after eight years when the presidency had been held by pragmatist Hassan Rouhani and a nuclear deal negotiated with powers including Washington.

However, Raisi's standing may have been dented by widespread protests against clerical rule and a failure to turn around Iran's economy, hamstrung by Western sanctions.

Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border on Sunday to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who said he had bid a "friendly farewell" to Raisi earlier in the day, offered assistance in the rescue.

[The Sisko]

Dead dead deadski.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rescuers on Monday found a helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials that had apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran the day before, though “no sign of life” was detected, state media reported.

Link to full article

Sorry for ducking out after my last post chaps, got a bit heated there, as well, I have been absolutely blasted on credits this term.

[wautd]

Not that it'll change much for Iran's regime (he wasn't the supreme leader after all), the butcher of Tehran being dead is a net gain for humanity

[Zaune]

Unless it turns out the crash was a result of shenanigans by Mossad and/or the CIA, because even if he had it coming the ensuing shitstorm would not be even slightly worth it.

[Solauren]

The Iranians said right off the bat they were flying over mountains in bad weather. If they even suspected another cause, they'd have already been running with it. (Especially with the shit show in Israel right now).

[wautd]

The Iranians said right off the bat they were flying over mountains in bad weather. If they even suspected another cause, they'd have already been running with it. (Especially with the shit show in Israel right now).

The fog was so bad they had to send a search & rescue team to find the original search & rescue team, which got lost.
That doesn't stop the typical propagandists to blame the US and/or Israel though. Those pesky Americans with their fog creating weather machines

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Unless it turns out the crash was a result of shenanigans by Mossad and/or the CIA, because even if he had it coming the ensuing shitstorm would not be even slightly worth it.

I was thinking the exact same thing, which is why I put this in its own thread instead of the Israel one.

[Broomstick]

The weather conditions were sufficiently bad (the rescue party needing a rescue party, for example) that I am satisfied this is an accident. Because flying in those conditions is fucking stupid.

[Lord Revan]

The weather conditions were sufficiently bad (the rescue party needing a rescue party, for example) that I am satisfied this is an accident. Because flying in those conditions is fucking stupid.

Depending on the local conditions it could have been a case that they had no choice (the bad weather came to them so fast there was no way to avoid it).

[Broomstick]

I understand that. In fact in 2000 I myself faced exactly that situation and worse yet I was in a small plane that lacked instrumentation for IFR flight, I didn't have the skill for that anyway, and airplanes require more space to land than a helicopter does. Nonetheless, I got my butt on the ground as fast as possible and survived the experience. I was extremely fortunate that I was able to locate a field suitable for an emergency landing. I am very aware of the hazards of sudden weather changes. Nor was I the only pilot that morning caught by surprise in that area and we were all fortunate no one was injured or killed.

However, helicopters can fly lower and slower (even hover) to land in such conditions. The requirements for a helicopter landing site are minimal. It's not that the windows are suddenly opaque, and given that helicopters can proceed in any direction extremely slowly (unlike airplanes, which must maintain a minimum speed) landing in extremely poor visibility is less likely to be fatal for helicopters. When such circumstances arise the priority needs to be a safe landing, not pressing onwards.

Then again, I was never a pilot for some extremely powerful and ruthless men who probably don't have the knowledge base or training to understand just how hazardous conditions had become and were pressing me to continue onward regardless.

[Batman]

Mountainous terrain, which has a tendency to be short on (even helicopter-sized) flat areas. AND difficult wind situations, which helicopters are even MORE sensitive to than fixed wing aicraft. No Fearless Leader putting a gun to the pilot's head required.

[Ralin]

And for all we know the guy really did have good reason to think he would be endangering himself more by landing. He probably did have a decent number of people who would like to take a shot at him.

[Solauren]

The possibility also exists that due to the bad weather, the regular pilot was not willing to fly, and Raisi asked if anyone wanted the honor to fly him, and far less skilled pilot decided to give it a crack.

[Broomstick]

Yes. There are a number of crashes involving situations where the vast majority of pilots said "no" and one guy stood up saying "I can do it!" and it turned out he couldn't.

Crashes in that sort of weather are usually attributed in large part to pilot error. Yes, the weather was a contributing factor, but the decision to either launch or continue in such weather is a major reason the accident occurred.