Just before a fatal helicopter crash claimed his life and those of his foreign minister and eight other senior officials, Iran state media released footage of President Ebrahim Raisi aboard the helicopter. The video captured Raisi looking through the aircraft’s window, with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other top officials visible nearby.
In another segment distributed by Iran video, President Raisi is shown interacting with officials shortly before embarking on the flight. The helicopter lost communication half an hour post-takeoff, and it was only after 16 grueling hours that the shattered remains of the aircraft were discovered atop a mountain.
State television mourned the loss, declaring, “The servant of the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, has achieved the highest level of martyrdom whilst serving the people.”
Initially, Iranian media referred to the incident merely as an “accident.” Mohsen Mansouri, Iran’s Deputy President for Executive Affairs, noted that some officials had managed to communicate with rescue teams, hinting that the situation might not have been as disastrous as feared.
