Iran’s choices
The tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash has thrust Iran into a period of intense political upheaval and uncertainty.
The tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash has thrust Iran into a period of intense political upheaval and uncertainty.
According to the report, the helicopter had remained on its predetermined course all along the way and had not deviated from the flight route.
The untimely death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border marks a significant turning point for Iran, a nation at the crux of some of the most crucial geopolitical tensions in the world.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who has been reported dead after the helicopter he was in crashed on 19 May 2024, is a consummate loyalist whose passing will be a severe blow to the country’s conservative leadership. While search and rescue teams – hampered by rain, fog, forests and mountains – searched for wreckage, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the nation “should pray” for Raisi.
According to the Iranian state media, rescuers are yet to reach the accident site due to bad weather.
Raisi has arrived in Moscow on Wednesday. He will address the State Duma or the lower house of parliament, and will hold a range of meetings.
The decision to start admitting Iran as a full member from an observer was declared on Friday in the 21st summit of the SCO leaders in Dushanbe.
Addressing the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan, Raisi welcomed the efforts of Japan and other countries in the region to help establish peace and stability in the Asian nation and in the region.
The polls were marked by a historically low turnout and criticized as largely uncompetitive after an unelected panel of clerics and lawyers barred all the major reformist and centrist candidates from running, all but guaranteeing Raisi’s victory.
Raisi met a special representative of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and put forward the idea of a joint mechanism to develop bilateral ties with Abu Dhabi.
