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2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash

Coordinates: 38°43′8″N 46°39′17″E / 38.71889°N 46.65472°E / 38.71889; 46.65472
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2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash
6-9221, the helicopter involved in the crash
Accident
Date19 May 2024; 5 months ago (2024-05-19)
SummaryHelicopter crash in bad weather
Sitenear Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan province, Iran
38°43′8″N 46°39′17″E / 38.71889°N 46.65472°E / 38.71889; 46.65472
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBell 212[1]
Operator Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Registration6-9221[2]
Flight originGiz Galasi Dam, Iran[3]
DestinationTabriz, Iran
Occupants9
Passengers6
Crew3
Fatalities9[4][5][6]
Survivors0

On 19 May 2024, an Iranian Air Force Bell 212 utility helicopter crashed in Bakrabad Rural District, near Varzaqan, Iran, while travelling from the Giz Galasi Dam to Tabriz, killing all on board.[7] It carried the president of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, governor-general of Iran's East Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, representative of the Supreme Leader in East Azerbaijan Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, Raisi's bodyguard and three flight crew.[8][9][10]

The crash took place in northern East Azerbaijan province, near the Azerbaijan–Iran border. Dense forest, heavy rain, fog, strong winds and snow hampered rescue operations.[11] Searchers used drones, teamwork, trained dogs and the Copernicus satellite system.[12][13][14]

Aircraft

The helicopter involved was a Bell 212 with serial number 35071 and aircraft registration number 6-9221, estimated to be 40–50 years old.[15][16][non-tertiary source needed]

Background

Presidents Raisi (left) and Aliyev (right) on the Azerbaijan–Iran border, hours before the crash

On 19 May 2024, President of Iran Raisi was in Azerbaijan to commission the Khoda Afarin hydroelectric complex and inaugurate the Giz Galasi hydroelectric complex with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.[17] The complex is the third collaborative project between Iran and Azerbaijan on the Aras River.[11][3] A day before the crash, the Iran Meteorological Organization had issued an orange weather warning for the region.[18]

Crash

File:Ebrahim Raisi helicopter crash site 19 May 2024.jpg
The site of the crash

Following the inauguration of the complex, Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian, Rahmati, Ale-Hashem,[19] and Raisi's head of security Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Mohammad Mehdi Mousavi[20] departed for Tabriz by helicopter[21] to inaugurate a project at an oil refinery.[20]

Their aircraft, a Bell 212,[20] was crewed by two Iranian Air Force pilots holding the rank of colonel and a flight technician with the rank of major, and was part of a convoy of three.[22] At around 13:30 IRST (UTC+03:30), the helicopter crashed approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southwest of the village of Uzi,[13][11][23] in the Dizmar Forest region, a wildlife corridor near the northern Varzaqan area of East Azerbaijan province.[21][24]

Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Housing and Transportation Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash, who were travelling in the other two helicopters, arrived safely in Tabriz[25][26] after their aircraft made unsuccessful searches for the third helicopter for 15 to 20 minutes after losing contact with it.[20] It was eventually reported that nine people were in the helicopter when it crashed.[4][5][6]

Recovery

News of the crash was released at 16:00,[20] with IRIB and Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi describing it as a hard landing caused by bad weather and fog.[25][27] Major-General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, ordered all its branches to deploy their full resources toward rescue operations.[25] Heavy fog affected search-and-rescue operations in Varzaqan.[12] Reports indicated that search-and-rescue teams were expected to reach the site of the crash by 20:00.[28] By 20:39, Iranian forces were near the site of the crash.[29] Forty rescue teams from the Iranian Red Crescent Society,[25] along with drones, were sent to the area of the crash.[30] Ale-Hashem survived for an hour after the crash,[31] and told others that he was in bad condition and could hear ambulances nearby.[32] One member of the helicopter's crew also communicated with the rescue forces.[33][34]

Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, announced that the European Union would activate the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (rapid response satellite mapping) at Iran's request.[35] Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Qatar, Turkey and Russia offered to help in the search.[36][37][38] Russia sent two airplanes, search and rescue helicopters and around 50 personnel to aid in the rescue mission.[39]

Iran requested a night vision search and rescue helicopter from Turkey, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency.[40] It also requested assistance from the United States, according to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, but it could not be fulfilled mainly due to logistical reasons.[41] Coordinates from a Turkish Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle showed the crash site being located on a steep mountain slope 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the Azerbaijan–Iran border.[42][43]

Later on 19 May, the IRIB reported the helicopter had been found[44] and that there was "no sign of life" at the crash scene,[45] which was situated at an altitude of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft).[20] With the exception of its tail,[42] the helicopter had been completely burned following impact.[46]

Search operations concluded with the recovery of the bodies of those on board on 20 May,[47] after which they were transported to Tabriz.[20] Many of the bodies were found in a charred condition, but were still visually identifiable.[48]

Aftermath

Raisi was the second president of Iran to have died in office, following Mohammad-Ali Rajai, who was killed in a bombing in 1981.[49] The presidential line of succession begins with Mohammad Mokhber, the first vice president. If power is transferred to the vice president in this way, Iranian law states that a new presidential election must be called within six months.[50] Authorities subsequently set the election date for 28 June.[51] On 20 May, the cabinet said that the government will continue to operate "without the slightest disruption".[42] That same day, Mokhber was formally designated as acting president by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, while Ali Bagheri was appointed as acting foreign minister.[52]

While the search was still under way, Khamenei asked the nation for its prayers and said: "The nation doesn't need to be worried or anxious as the administration of the country will not be disrupted at all."[53][54] The government cancelled a cabinet meeting and instead convened an emergency meeting,[55] during which Raisi's chair was left empty and draped with a black sash.[56] Senior officials of the Supreme National Security Council travelled to Tabriz.[57] Following confirmation of Raisi's death, Khamenei declared five days of national mourning.[52] Raisi's funeral is scheduled on 21 May in Tabriz.[47]

Former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed the United States for the crash, saying in an interview that the latter's embargo on the sale of aircraft and aviation parts to Iran "will be recorded in the list of US crimes against the Iranian people".[52] Much of Iran's military air fleet was acquired prior to the 1979 Revolution and it has not obtained some necessary parts due to the international sanctions.[11]

Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the exiled dissident People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, described the crash as a "monumental and irreparable strategic blow to the mullahs' Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the entire regime", which would trigger "a series of repercussions and crises" within its leadership.[58] Taghi Rahmani, the husband of detained activist and Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, said Raisi's death would not structurally change the Iranian leadership under Khamenei.[59]

Reactions

Governments

During the search efforts, well-wishes and offers of support came from President Ilham Aliyev,[60] Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi,[61] Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif,[62] President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,[63] President of the Maldives Mohamed Muizzu,[64] President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel,[65] the Iraqi government,[66] United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres[66] and the foreign ministries of Afghanistan, Kuwait, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Jordan.[67][68][69] The US State Department also stated that it was closely monitoring the situation, while president Joe Biden was briefed about the incident.[66] Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese also said that he was monitoring the situation.[70]

Following the confirmation of the deaths of Raisi and the other passengers, leaders and officials of several countries and international organizations extended their condolences and sympathies.[a] Days of mourning were declared in India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, and Turkey.[52][113][114] Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed hope that a future Iranian government would "commit itself to the stabilisation and pacification of the region".[71] British Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat said that he "will not mourn" Raisi, adding that his "regime has murdered thousands at home, and targeted people here in Britain and across Europe".[115] United States National Security Council spokesman John Kirby described Raisi as "a man who had a lot of blood on his hands".[116]

Some anti-Israel figures and commentators, including Jackson Hinkle, Nick Griffin, and Maram Susli, blamed Israel for the helicopter crash or implied that it might be responsible.[117][118] However, there is no evidence of any Israeli link to the crash,[118] and an Israeli official said that Israel was not involved.[119][120][121] Although there was no official reaction from the government, Israeli opposition politician Avigdor Lieberman said it was unlikely to affect Iranian policy toward Israel, adding that "we won't shed a tear" over Raisi's death.[120]

Militant groups

Several Islamist militant organisations backed by Iran expressed their condolences. Mohammed al-Houthi, Houthi Yemen's Interior Minister, expressed condolences to the Iranian people, leadership, and families of the dead. Hamas mourned the loss of an "honourable supporter" in a statement.[122] Hezbollah also mourned Raisi, describing him as a protector of the Axis of Resistance.[123]

Public

Reactions inside Iran were mixed; prior to the confirmation of Raisi's death, prayers for him were held in cities across the country,[21] which were aired by state-run television and encouraged by the Fars News Agency. At the same time, videos of people in Iran setting off celebratory fireworks began circulating on social media, while others danced, played music, or honked car horns in solidarity with those celebrating.[54][59] Police in Tehran warned that anyone who appeared publicly happy about Raisi's death would be prosecuted.[59]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Afghan Acting Prime Minister Hasan Akhund,[71] Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune,[72][73] Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan,[74] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev,[75] Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin[76] and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,[77] Bosnian Presidency member Željko Komšić,[78] Interim Burkinabè President Ibrahim Traoré,[79] Chinese President Xi Jinping,[80] Comorian President Azali Assoumani,[81] Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi,[82] Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel,[83] Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,[84] Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki,[85] Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed,[86] European Council President Charles Michel,[80] EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell,[87] Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit,[71] African Union Commission President Moussa Faki,[86] Gambian President Adama Barrow,[88] Bissau-Guinean President Umaro Sissoco Embaló,[89] Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,[90] Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani,[91] Italian President Sergio Mattarella,[92] Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi,[71] Jordanian King Abdullah II,[93] Kuwaiti Prime Minister Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah,[94] Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,[95] Liswati Prime Minister Russell Dlamini,[96] Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina,[86] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,[90] Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu,[97][98] the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs,[99] Nigerian President Bola Tinubu,[86] OPEC secretary general Haitham al-Ghais,[71] Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,[90][100] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,[71] Philippine President Bongbong Marcos,[101] Polish President Andrzej Duda,[102] Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro,[103] Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,[80] Russian President Vladimir Putin,[90] Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,[104] Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe,[105] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa,[106] Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan,[71] Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,[107] Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan,[108] Tunisian President Kais Saied,[109] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,[110] UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,[80] US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller,[111] Pope Francis,[87] and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.[112]

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