EU offers mapping services as Iran’s president Raisi, foreign minister missing after helicopter crash

6 months ago 26

A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed on Sunday (19 May), with rescuers struggling to reach the site of the incident.

Traveling with Raisi were Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, and other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

The chief of staff of Iran’s army ordered all the resources of the army and the elite Revolutionary Guard to be put to use in search and rescue operations.

The European Commission said shortly after the incident was reported it was activating its “rapid response mapping service in view of the helicopter accident,” to aid search efforts, following a request for assistance from Iran.

The European Commission’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service provides mapping products based on satellite imagery.

European Commission President Charles Michel said EU member states and partners were “monitoring the situation closely.”

The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran due to a combination of political, social, and economic crises.

Iran’s clerical rulers face international pressure over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme and it’s deepening military ties with Russia in support of its war in Ukraine, which have triggered a series of EU sanctions on Iranian companies involved.

Raisi was elected in 2021, and since taking office has ordered a tightening of morality laws, overseen a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests, and pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers.

A hardline cleric and former head of the judiciary, he has been widely seen as a strong contender to succeed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme.

Speaking to Reuters, an unnamed Iranian official said that the lives of Raisi and Abdollahian could be at risk. “We are still hopeful, but information coming from the crash site is very concerning,” the official said.

Under Iran’s constitution, if Raisi is dead or unable to continue in his post, there would need to be new presidential elections within 50 days.

Azerbaijan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have also offered their help to Iran after subsequent requests for technical support.

[Edited by Rajnish Singh]