The spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Stéphane Dujarric, has announced that Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, is deeply saddened by the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and their colleagues. The tragic incident occurred when their helicopter crashed in foggy, mountainous terrain in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Death of Iran’s President Raisi and Officials
In a heartfelt statement, Dujarric conveyed the Secretary-General’s sympathies: “The Secretary-General expresses his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The devastating news has prompted a somber response from the international community. Members of the UN Security Council observed a minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the crash, as reported by AFP news agency. This gesture reflects the global recognition of the significant loss and the high regard in which the deceased officials were held.
The crash has not only resulted in the loss of Iran’s top leadership but has also brought about a period of mourning and reflection both within Iran and internationally. The international community stands in solidarity with Iran during this difficult time, offering condolences and support to the nation and the families affected by this tragedy. Death of Iran’s President Raisi and Officials
Although the cause of the crash that killed President Raisi and seven others remains unclear, Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the helicopter was “forced to make a hard landing due to bad weather conditions and fog in the area”.
So what do we know about the weather?
On 18 May, the local state TV station which covers East Azerbaijan Province, Sahand TV, forecast rain in the region the following day – shown in the image above.
On the morning of the crash, the state broadcaster’s flagship Network One TV and IRINN rolling news channel aired a forecast predicting heavy rainfall.
Also that morning, Tabriz airport, 75kms (47 miles) from the crash site, issued a forecast predicting thunder clouds at 3,500 feet (1,067m) above ground level.
BBC Weather presenter Simon King used to brief RAF air crews ahead of missions in the Middle East. He says: “If I was advising the convoy, it seems it was clearly a disturbed weather day, forecasts suggest the cloud levels would be at a level that would have been covering the mountains, there would have been hill fog, so there would have been a lot of hazards to address.”
