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President Ebrahim Raisi: What we know about deadly Iran helicopter crash

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President Ebrahim Raisi: What we know about deadly Iran helicopter crash
Rescuers found the crash site after daybreak on Monday
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President Ebrahim Raisi and seven other people were killed on Sunday when the helicopter they were travelling in came down near the border with Azerbaijan, Iranian authorities have confirmed.

This is what we know so far about the crash.

Why was the president flying in a helicopter?

Raisi flew to the far north-western province of East Azerbaijan on Sunday morning for the inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi and Khoda Afarin dams, a joint hydroelectric power project with neighbouring Azerbaijan on the Aras river.

He was joined at the ceremony by Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, who said he had bid a “friendly farewell” before the helicopter departed the dam area and flew towards the city of Tabriz, about 130km (80 miles) to the south.

Raisi had been scheduled to inaugurate a project at the Tabriz oil refinery.

Who else was on board the aircraft?

EPA President Ebrahim Raisi (3rd L) and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (2nd R) attend the inauguration of the Qiz-Qalasi Dam (19 May 2024)EPA
President Ebrahim Raisi (3rd L) was in north-western Iran for the inauguration of a dam, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (2nd R), East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati (2nd L) and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem (5th R)

There were seven people accompanying the president who also died in the crash, according to the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami.

They included Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as well as the governor of East Azerbaijan province, Malek Rahmati, and Tabriz’s Friday prayer leader, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, a senior Shia cleric who was also Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s official representative in East Azerbaijan.

Gen Salami identified the others as IRGC Brig-Gen Mohammad Mehdi Mousavi, the head of the president’s security team, pilots Col Mohsen Daryanush and Col Seyyed Taher Mostafavi, and technician Maj Behrouz Qadimi.

Where did the helicopter crash?

Map of Iran showing where Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crashed

The incident occurred at around 13:30 local time (10:00 GMT) in a remote, mountainous area about 58km (36 miles) south of the Qiz-Qalasi Dam and 2km south-west of the village of Uzi, according to Iranian officials and photographs published by state media.

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But it was not until after 16:00 local time (12:45 GMT) that Iranian state TV reported that the helicopter carrying the president had experienced what it called a “hard landing” while flying to Tabriz in heavy fog and rain.

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Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi later confirmed that the president’s delegation had been travelling in a convoy of three helicopters and that his aircraft was “forced to make a hard landing due to bad weather conditions and fog in the area”.

He said multiple rescue teams were heading to the area but that fog, snow and rain and the local terrain were hampering the search operation.

As for the other two helicopters that were flying alongside the president’s helicopter, they had initiated a search for 15 to 20 minutes after communication was lost. They were then forced to make emergency landings, an official told state TV as the operation continued into the night.

Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri also said contacts had been made with two people on the president’s helicopter – a flight crew member and one other individual.

“This indicates that the severity of the incident was not very high, as two of the individuals inside the helicopter managed to communicate with our team multiple times,” he added, without providing further details.

However, any hopes that Raisi and his entourage had survived were dashed after daybreak on Monday.

Reuters Iranian rescue teams search for the wreckage of President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter (19 May 2024)Reuters
Photographs from the scene on Monday showed rescuers climbing a steep mountainside, shrouded in fog

What was found at the scene?

At about 05:00 (01:30 GMT), rescuers spotted the wreckage from a distance from about 2km (1.2 miles) and then took about an hour to reach it, according to the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Pirhossein Kolivand.

Once at the crash site, which was at an altitude of around 2,200m (7,200ft), they found “no signs of life”, Mr Kolivand told state TV.

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State TV also broadcast grainy footage of the crash site on a mountainside, as seen from across a valley. It appeared to show the blue-and-white tail of a helicopter next to a number of burnt shrubs.

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Later, after the death of President Raisi and the others on board had been announced, state TV broadcast footage showing a correspondent standing in front of the tail and what appeared to be other parts of the wreckage.

State news agency Irna also posted video showing rescuers carrying a body wrapped in a blanket in a stretcher.

The bodies were recovered and transferred to a cemetery in Tabriz, state TV said.

The head of Iran’s crisis management agency, Mohammad Nami, told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that all of the bodies were identifiable, with “no need for DNA examinations”.

He also said Ayatollah Al-e Hashem was alive for an hour after the crash and that he made contact with the head of the president’s office before he died.

What was the cause of the crash?

Iranian authorities have so far not given a cause.

However, government ministers have described how the helicopter crashed after getting into difficulties in heavy fog and rain.

What do we know about the helicopter?

Reuters A Iranian government Bell 212 carrying President Ebrahim Raisi takes off from the Qiz-Qalasi Dam (19 May 2024)Reuters
The Bell 212 carrying President Raisi was filmed taking off from the Qiz-Qalasi Dam before the crash

State media identified it as Bell 212, a model which was developed by a US company for the Canadian military in the 1960s.

Iran’s navy and air force have a total of 10, according to FlightGlobal’s 2024 World Air Forces directory, but it is unclear how many the Iranian government operates.

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State-run IRNA news agency says the helicopter carrying the president could carry six passengers and two crew.

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According to the Flight Safety Foundation, the last fatal incident in Iran involving a Bell 212 before Sunday happened during a medical evacuation in April 2018.

What has been the reaction in Iran?

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who has ultimate authority in the Islamic Republic – expressed his condolences over what he called the “bitter tragedy” and declared five days of public mourning.

“With deep sorrow and regret, I have received the bitter news of the martyrdom of the people’s president, the competent, hard-working Hajj Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi, and his esteemed entourage,” he said.

A statement issued by Iran’s cabinet said the president had “made the ultimate sacrifice on the path of serving his nation”.

Ministers also promised Iranians that they would follow Raisi’s path and there would “be no problem with management of the country”.

Raisi’s moderate rival and predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, expressed his condolences and said “a bitter page has turned in the Islamic Revolution’s book”.

Former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told state TV that the US was indirectly to blame for the crash because it had maintained years of sanctions that prevented Iran from buying new aircraft.

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Who has succeeded Raisi as president?

Reuters Mohammad Mokhber chairs a cabinet meeting in Tehran following the death of Ebrahim Raisi (20 May 2024)Reuters
Mohammad Mokhber, Ebrahim Raisi’s deputy, has been named acting president

Ayatollah Khamenei confirmed that Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber had been appointed acting president, in line with Article 131 of Iran’s constitution.

The constitution states that the acting president will then jointly with the heads of parliament and the judiciary oversee an election for a new president within a maximum of 50 days.

Iran’s veteran nuclear negotiator and deputy foreign minister, Ali Baqeri Kani, was also named as the acting foreign minister, a government spokesman said.

He can serve in the post for a maximum of three months before a permanent replacement must be nominated and approved by parliament. (BBC)

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Canadian police prepare for influx of asylum-seekers escaping Trump

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FILE PHOTO: Asylum seekers cross into Canada from the U.S. border near a checkpoint on Roxham Road near Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada April 24, 2022. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File Photo
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Canadian police and migrant aid organizations are preparing for a potential influx of asylum-seekers fleeing to Canada as President-elect Donald Trump returns to power in the United States.

This development comes as Canada grapples with record refugee claim numbers and an aim to reduce immigration.

Trump, the former and now future U.S. president, won this week’s election with a platform that includes enacting the largest deportation effort in American history, raising concerns among Canadian authorities about a new wave of border crossings.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have been preparing for months, said RCMP Sergeant Charles Poirier on Thursday.

“We knew a few months ago that we had to start prepping a contingency plan because if he comes into power, which now he will in a few months, it could drive illegal migration and irregular migration into (the province of) Quebec and into Canada,” Poirier told Reuters.

The worst-case scenario, Poirier explained, would be a surge of people crossing into Canada.

“Let’s say we had 100 people per day entering across the border, then it’s going to be hard because our officers will basically have to cover huge distances in order to arrest everyone,” he said.

During Trump’s first term in 2017, thousands of asylum-seekers crossed the Canadian border outside formal checkpoints to file refugee claims, most often at Roxham Road near the Quebec-New York border.

However, Roxham Road is no longer an option for would-be asylum-seekers, following a bilateral agreement between Canada and the U.S. This pact, which now applies to the entire 4,000-mile border, mandates that asylum-seekers trying to cross outside formal checkpoints be turned back unless they qualify for a narrow exemption.

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Now, those who attempt to cross into Canada undetected must evade authorities and hide for two weeks before they can safely seek asylum – a high-risk approach, say immigrant advocates.

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“When you don’t create legitimate pathways, or when you only create pathways where people have to do the impossible to receive safety, you know, unfortunately, people are going to try to do the impossible,” said Abdulla Daoud, director of The Refugee Centre in Montreal, which provides support services for migrants.

As these pressures mount, Canadian police are on “high alert,” prepared to mobilize additional resources if the need arises, Poirier added. This could mean deploying hundreds of extra officers, increasing patrols with additional cruisers, chartering buses, and even setting up temporary facilities near the border.

“All eyes are on the border right now. … We were on high alert, I can tell you, a few days before the election, and we’ll probably remain on alert for the next coming weeks,” Poirier said, underlining the tense anticipation among Canadian Police amid Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown threat.

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US election: Kamala Harris concedes defeat, calls Trump

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US election: Kamala Harris concedes defeat, calls Trump
Kamala Harris
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Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, officially conceded defeat to her Republican rival, Donald Trump, in the 5 November 2024 United States presidential election.

According to Al Jazeera, a senior campaign aide to Harris revealed on Wednesday that she congratulated Trump on his victory and emphasised the importance of a peaceful transition, underscoring the role of a president in uniting the country.

“They discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for everyone in the country,” the aide reported.

Harris is expected to deliver her first public remarks since her projected loss later on Wednesday in Washington, DC.

Initially, she was scheduled to address supporters gathered at Howard University, her alma mater, on election night. However, with results still being finalised, her campaign director informed the emotional crowd that she would delay her speech until further outcomes were confirmed.

Trump achieved a decisive victory, comfortably surpassing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the presidency.

As is tradition, Trump will be inaugurated as president and officially take office on Monday, 20 January 2025, following the customary transition period after the election.

Between now and 20 January 2025, President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will collaborate with their transition team to coordinate the handover from President Biden’s administration.

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We must stop smuggling gangs before they act – Starmer, UK Prime Minister

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UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer
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Sir Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister, has vowed to use counter-terrorism tactics to stop people-smuggling gangs “before they act”, as he announced an extra £75m to police the UK’s borders.

In a speech, the prime minister said the UK’s new Border Security Command (BSC) would “treat people smugglers like terrorists”, with enhanced powers to trace suspected human traffickers and shut down their bank accounts.

The cash boost, which will be used to hire hundreds of new investigators and intelligence officers, takes the funding for the BSC to a total of £150m.

But former immigration chief Kevin Saunders said the changes would not deter illegal migrants from coming to the UK and stop small boat crossings.

In a speech to the Interpol general assembly in Glasgow, which brings together senior police and ministers from nearly 200 member countries, the prime minister said it was his “personal mission to smash the people-smuggling gangs”.

“We are going to treat people smugglers like terrorists – we are taking our approach to counter terrorism, which we know works, and applying it to the gangs,” he said.

“We have got to combine resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream, working together to shut down the smuggling routes.”

The government has said it will pass new laws to give those tackling smuggling gangs enhanced powers to trace suspects’ movements and freeze their bank accounts.

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Meanwhile, the BSC will get additional funding for:

An extra 300 staff to strengthen global partnerships and deliver new legislation

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An additional 100 specialist investigators and intelligence officers for the National Crime Agency (NCA), to tackle criminals involved in people smuggling

New NCA technology around advanced data exploitation, to boost collaboration with European partners investigating trafficking networks

Creating a new specialist intelligence unit examining information from key police forces

Boosting the Crown Prosecution Service’s ability to deliver charging decisions more quickly on international organised crime cases

However, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Saunders, who was chief immigration officer for ports, said “unfortunately what the prime minister is trying to do is not feasible”.

The UK would only be able to prosecute and jail people smugglers “in the UK and the majority of people smugglers are actually based in the Middle East and Turkey”, Mr Saunders said.

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Under the UK’s asylum system “you can’t deport failed asylum seekers” who destroy documents, Mr Saunders said.

Without official documents, the UK is often unable to prove the asylum seekers country of origin meaning their home countries will refuse to take them.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “It is a shame that Starmer has not recognised the extent of the crisis in the Channel sooner, as he and the Labour Party voted against numerous measures to stop the gangs while they were in opposition.

“If Starmer continues to ignore the need for a deterrent to stop migrants crossing the Channel, there will be more deaths in the Channel as more and more migrants continue to cross it.”

Sir Keir cancelled the Rwanda deportation scheme, which was the Conservative government’s plan to discourage Channel crossings.

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More than 5,400 people crossed the Channel in small boats in October – the highest monthly figure since October 2022.

In total, more than 27,500 people have made the crossing so far this year, more than the same period in 2023.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the high number of crossings in October was linked to unusually fair weather.

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However, she told the BBC the government could not just blame weather conditions for spikes in illegal immigration and had to “go after the criminal gangs at the heart of this”.

Pressed over when a drop in small boat crossings could be expected, Cooper would not commit to a specific target.

She added that it would take time to get investigators and new technology in place but the government wanted to make progress “as rapidly as possible”.

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