Former FM of Iran Accuses US of Causing President Raisi Helicopter Crash
Previous Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has faulted America for the helicopter crash that killed President Ibrahim Raisi.
Speaking on state media, Zarif said sanctions caused the helicopter to crash. This is because they have had a much more significant impact on Iran’s aviation industry than any other sector.
Zarif also said people in Iran will never forget what America did. He added that with public support, this can be overcome.
Yesterday, an Iranian military chopper carrying President Ibrahim Raisi crashed while he was traveling between Qazvin and Tabriz. This was the deadliest single-day death for a sitting president since 1980. Alongside him were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials; there are no survivors.
Crash Victims Identified
Along with Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian, eight others died in Tuesday morning’s crash:
Governor of East Azerbaijan Malik Rahmati (reported to be among those seriously injured during the initial impact)
Imam of Tabriz, Seyed Mohammad Al-Hashem
Commander of the President’s Security Unit, Sardar Seyed Mehdi Mousavi
A bodyguard
Helicopter crew members: Former FM of Iran
US Sanctions Have Severely Hampered Iran’s Aviation Sector
Foreign minister Javad Zarif complained about American sanctions. Still, his comments provide context into broader problems faced by airlines across countries grappling with them, such as Iran, who have been unable to modernize their fleet due largely to the fact that maintaining safety standards becomes expensive without newer planes.
National Mourning And Response
President-elect Ebrahim Raisi has been declared dead by authorities after a helicopter crash early Tuesday morning left him fatally injured along with several others close to him, including some prominent politicians from different parts of Iran. The nation is in mourning over his loss, which comes just weeks before he was due to take office on August 8th; an investigation into what caused this tragic accident has been launched by Iranian officials who are focusing their efforts primarily on technical and operational aspects affected heavily by US sanctions.
In addition, this crash demonstrates the immediate consequences of these deaths and their long-term effects on infrastructure development within nations like ours, where external pressures often dictate such events. This means that while we grieve our leaders today, there will always be tomorrow filled with new challenges for us all to face together as one people united against any form of tyranny or oppression regardless of whence it may come.
