On Sunday, a Bell 212 helicopter of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), operated by the VIP Squadron and carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahia,n crashed in a remote mountainous area near the Iran-Azerbaijan border. The incident occurred during their return from a visit to Azerbaijan, where they had attended the inauguration of a dam on the Araxe River.
Iranian emergency services recovered the bodies of President Raïssi and the eight other passengers on Monday morning. Despite deploying over twenty rescue teams with drones and rescue dogs, the search was hindered by poor weather and the remote location. The head of the Red Crescent, Pirhossein Koulivand, confirmed the completion of search operations and the transfer of the victims’ bodies to Tabriz.
The rescue efforts were supported by a Turkish drone with infrared vision and EU geolocation satellites. The EU’s involvement, announced by European Commissioner Janez Lenarcic under the banner of “EU solidarity,” drew some criticism.
The crash, which left a long black trail and scattered debris, was a significant tragedy. Israeli media reported that Israel denied any involvement in the crash, citing unnamed government officials, and has not officially responded to the incident.
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