Recording of Iranian helicopter tragedy revealed
5:52 AM EDT, May 20, 2024
The President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, died on Sunday in a helicopter crash. On Monday, Iranian television aired a brief video reportedly taken during Raisi's last flight. Alongside him, Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahijan, also perished on board the Bell helicopter.
The video shows Raisi and the accompanying delegation admiring the view out of the helicopter's window. The footage then includes a short shot of the terrain over which the helicopter was flying.
It is unclear exactly where the recording was made. However, it is known that the helicopter experienced a "hard landing" on its way from the border with Azerbaijan. The last communication with the aircraft was recorded near a copper mine in northwestern Iran.
In addition to Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahijan, Governor of East Azerbaijan Malik Rahmati, and an Imam from Tabriz, Mohammad Ali Al-Hashem, were also on board. All perished.
President of Iran is dead. He died in a helicopter crash
Raisi, along with other officials, was attending a ceremony to launch a dam on the Aras River. The Iranian politician met there with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.
After the ceremony, Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Abdollahijan, the Governor of East Azerbaijan, and clerics, was supposed to fly by helicopter to Tabriz.
Iranian media reported on the situation from places of worship, where Iranians prayed for Raisi. An appeal for prayers also appeared on the official profile of the president on social media.
