May 21 :
Following Sunday afternoon's helicopter crash involving Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the United States announced on Monday that it was "unable" to offer assistance to the Iranian administration for logistical reasons. A request for aid came from the Iranian administration. During a daily briefing, US State Department spokeswoman Matthew Miller stated that the US had already informed the foreign government that it would offer help in response to any request of this kind.
The Iranian government requested our help, but I won't provide any information. We expressed our willingness to provide assistance. Regarding any administration in this predicament, we would do this. "In the end, we couldn't offer that help, mostly due to logistical considerations," Miller continued.
"We don't want to see anyone die in a helicopter crash," Miller stated, expressing condolences for the loss of President Ebrahim Raisi and said that the Iranian president had "blood in his hands."
"Allow me to make a few points. To start, it has long been established that Ebrahim Raisi was complicit in the ruthless suppression of the Iranian people for almost forty years. In 1988, he was instrumental in the extrajudicial execution of hundreds of political detainees, among his many heinous human rights violations. During his time as president, Iran's women and girls were victims of some of the country's greatest human rights violations, he claimed.
We deeply condone any lives lost. No one should perish in a helicopter disaster. However, the reality remains that he has a checkered past as an Iranian president and a judge, and that he is responsible for the deaths of innocent people. First and foremost, I believe that our basic stance towards Iran remains unchanged. In addition, he emphasised that the United States will remain committed to standing by the Iranian people as they fight for human rights, a free society, and the right to vote.
A 'hard landing' on Sunday caused the helicopter, which was carrying other officials, to vanish in the highlands of northwest Iran. On Monday morning, almost sixteen hours following the helicopter crash due to bad weather, their deaths were officially confirmed.
According to state media Press TV, Raisi, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and seven others were killed when the chopper crashed on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, while returning to Iran from Azerbaijan, Raisi's chopper crashed due to severe weather.
While in Azerbaijan, Raisi and his entourage attended the inauguration of a dam on the Aras River, which was presided over by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber convened an emergency cabinet meeting after the news of Raisi and his team's killings broke, according to Press TV.
The event occurred on Sunday afternoon as Raisi was travelling to Tabriz.
Looking at the debris of the helicopter, the likelihood of someone surviving such an event is pretty low, according to an Al Jazeera journalist. The entire interior of the helicopter is engulfed in flames. According to the paper, Iranian officials "are saying that some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and that they have not been able to identify who is who at the site." The Red Crescent broadcast drone footage of the debris on state media. According to CNN, the footage showed the crash site on a steep hillside surrounded by trees, with only the helicopter's blue and white tail visible.
Iran is experiencing this for the very first time. The president and foreign minister vanished in a helicopter accident,, marking an unprecedented event in the country. Government officials called an emergency meeting of the cabinet after news of the deaths of the Iranian president and foreign minister spread.
