LIVE: Iran’s President Raisi, FM Amirabdollahian killed in helicopter crash
- Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have died in a helicopter crash.
- A total of nine people, including a provincial governor, were on board when the aircraft went down in northern Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. They all are believed to be dead.
- As the country mourns, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says there will be no disruptions to how Iran is run.
- Iran’s vice president will assume the powers of the presidency and new elections will be held within 50 days.
- Countries across the region express solidarity with Iran.
- 4m ago(08:20 GMT)
Photos from the helicopter crash site
The helicopter carrying Raisi takes off near the Iran-Azerbaijan border on Sunday [Ali Hamed Haghdoust/IRNA/WANA via Reuters] 
Screengrab from video released by the Iranian Red Crescent on Monday shows the crash site of the helicopter carrying Raisi in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province [Iranian Red Crescent/Handout via AFP] 
[Iranian Red Crescent/Handout via AFP] - 14m ago(08:10 GMT)
WATCH: Who was Hossein Amirabdollahian?
The top Iranian diplomat has helped shift Iran’s foreign policy from engagement with the West to improving relations with neighbours in the Middle East, especially Arab countries across the Gulf.
Al Jazeera’s Alex Baird looks back at his life in the video below:
Iran's Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian dies alongside Raisi in a helicopter crash - 24m ago(08:00 GMT)
‘We’ve had presidents that sat in their office mostly; Raisi was different’
Fouad Izadi, an associate professor of world studies at the University of Tehran, has told Al Jazeera that Raisi’s death “in the line of duty” is a “shock to the nation”.
The fact that he was travelling at the time of his death was representative of his commitment to being a “hands-on” president, Izadi said.
He noted that in three years, Raisi had visited all Iranian provinces at least two times and some provinces nine times.
“We have had presidents in Iran that sat in their office mostly; President Raisi was different and I think that’s one reason that people are going to remember him,” he said.
In a way , the Wankees may be indirectly responsible fldue to severe sanctions.
ReplyDeleteThe Bell Jet helicopter shown is manufactured by Textron in USA..and Iran has no way to get legally spare parts, only in the Black market, and no technical support from the manufacturer.