Israeli officials have declared they had nothing to do with the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Raisi, 63, was confirmed dead by Iranian media today along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati and Tabriz’s Friday prayer Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem.
Two pilots and three other Iranian officials and security guards also perished in the crash in the mountainous northwest of the country.
Drone footage
Drone footage from Iranian and Turkish news agencies revealed the helicopter had smashed apart on landing, while clips shared by the Iranian Red Crescent showed solemn rescuers carrying corpses on covered stretchers out of the forest surrounding the crash site.
The incident that killed the Iran president sparked a wave of speculation as to the cause of the crash with many theorists pointing the finger at Israel.
The nation is at war with Tehran-backed Hamas in Gaza, and tensions boiled over in April when Israel and Iran exchanged rounds of direct drone and missile strikes.
Though the Israeli government has not released an official statement, officials who requested anonymity batted away accusations Tel Aviv was behind the crash, telling Reuters: ‘It wasn’t us’.
Iran is yet to provide any details surrounding the crash, nor has it offered an explanation besides a simple statement on the poor weather conditions.
Ill-fated helicopter
But Iranian aircraft, particularly Western-supplied models such as the US-made Bell 212 helicopter carrying Raisi, are notoriously unsafe and in a state of disrepair as the Islamic Republic has long been subject to Western sanctions that prevent access to desperately needed spare parts.
It is not known when Raisi’s helicopter was manufactured, but the Bell 212 has been in use with governments around the world for more than 50 years, first entering service in the early 70s.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, said First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, would take over as interim president, the official IRNA news agency reported.
“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” Khamenei said in a statement. Mokhber, like Raisi, is seen as close to Khamenei.
Under the Islamic Republic’s constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 50 days.
Footage from Iranian state television showed wreckage scattered on a foggy hillside, while separate images from IRNA showed Red Crescent workers carrying a covered body on a stretcher. All those aboard the helicopter were killed, a senior Iranian official had earlier told Reuters.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani was appointed as acting foreign minister following the death of Amirabdollahian, IRNA said.
