Extremely difficult mountains rescue amid Iran helicopter tragedy
Iranian services were searching for President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter in extremely difficult terrain. "It is a very mountainous area, and these are mountains with a capital 'M'. Some peaks are over 2,500 metres. All mountains are forested," our source reports. The wreck was found on Monday morning.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash. Reports on this were confirmed on Monday morning by Iran's Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri. Earlier, the news of Raisi's death was conveyed by the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Pir Hossein Kolivand.
On Monday morning, Iranian state television reported that rescuers had located the wreckage of the helicopter, but there was "no sign of life in President Raisi's crashed helicopter".
Even on Sunday, when the accident was reported, there was hope. The machine was said to have had a "hard landing" in northwestern Iran. Extensive searches were launched but were hampered by weather and mountainous terrain. The search was narrowed down to the Dizmar forests.
"The area where the searches were conducted has been under UNESCO protection since 1976 and covers 74,000 hectares. Very few forests have been preserved in Iran, so this reserve is crucial. It stretches towards Azerbaijan and Armenia, serving as a wildlife corridor for animals to move and live," said Łukasz Przybyszewski, president of the Abhaseed Foundation.
"It is a very mountainous area, and these are mountains with a capital 'M.' Some peaks are over 2,500 metres. All mountains are forested. Nomads still live in these areas today," he emphasized.
Iranian media noted that this is not the first helicopter accident during the transport of Iranian politicians. In 2013, a helicopter carrying President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made an emergency landing. Last year, a helicopter carrying Sports Minister Hamid Sajjadi crashed.
"Travelling by helicopter is the most efficient way in Iran. The distances between cities are vast, and it is dangerous to drive a car, for example, at night. A vast amount of goods is transported by trucks, and drivers fall asleep. Hence, the safest method is the helicopter. And the more such trips, the more frequent the accidents statistically," Przybyszewski told us.
Who is the president in Iran?
"In the 80s, Iran simplified its structure. They abolished the office of the prime minister, leaving the office of the president, who serves as the head of the government but is directly elected in the elections," said Przybyszewski.
He adds that the Supreme Leader, currently Ali Khamenei, holds the role of president for life.
As the president of the Abhaseed Foundation explains, Raisi is a loyalist. "During the revolution, he was a prosecutor known for ruthlessness," he said.
In the event of the president's death, the first vice president takes over power in Iran. Elections must be organized within 50 days.
"The person who would take control of the president's office after Raisi's possible death would be the first vice president Mohammad Mochber Dezfuli. Looking at his biography, he can also be considered an ultra-loyalist. He was in the headquarters executing the order of the imam. This is an existing body established during the revolution to take over the Shah's property and redistribute it to the clergy and the people," Przybyszewski said.
"Mochber also sits on the dispute resolution committee, an advisory body to Khamenei. This committee is important because it resolves all disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council. It is like Khamenei's ear, understanding what everyone is arguing about, making it easier for him to resolve the dispute," Łukasz Przybyszewski emphasized.
Read more:
Absurd post by Simonjan. "Putin's favourite" gave a show
