Helicopter Crash Kills Iran’s President and Foreign Minister

(DailyDig.com) – On May 19, a helicopter carrying Iranian leaders crashed into the mountains in East Azerbaijan, near the Iran border. All eight people aboard the helicopter died in the crash, including Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian President, and Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister.

The Iranian state-run media did not comment on the cause of the crash, but Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister of Iran, claimed that the US was responsible for their lack of replacement parts due to Western sanctions. A suddenly appearing dense fog is widely believed to be the cause.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran’s Shiite theocracy, named the current vice president as the caretaker of the government. He stated that the deaths of Iran’s leaders were a serious matter during this time of unrest in the Middle East.

The unrest is caused by the current war between Hamas and Israel, as the Iran-backed terrorist leaders of Gaza attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has joined Hamas as they fire rockets into Israel. Additionally, Iran launched an attack on Israel earlier, using drones and missiles.

Raisi, age 63, was seen as a possible replacement for Khamenei, age 85. Raisi, considered a rigid adherent to the Shiite theocracy, led Iran as they enriched their uranium in opposition to the West’s resistance to Iran becoming a nuclear state. He oversaw the work to obtain uranium at a weapons-grade level, and he also provided Russia with drones capable of carrying bombs in their war with Ukraine.

During Raisi’s reign, Iran faced protests from citizens over women’s rights and the economy. As many Iranians mourned the loss of their president, others saw the opportunity to hope that a change could be possible.

Lloyd Austin, the US Defense Secretary, made a statement that he is monitoring the situation but does not believe there will be much of a change to the US’s relationship with Iran. He stated that the change in Iran’s leadership is unlikely to alter their support for terrorist organizations in the region.