Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister died in a helicopter crash while travelling across mountainous territory in dense fog. The plane carried Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian as well as the governor of the province of East Azerbaijan in Iran along with other officials and security guards. Raisi was on his way back from an excursion to the Iranian-Azerbaijani border, where he had assisted President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in the groundbreaking of a dam.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, is thought to have Raisi as a favourite and possible heir to his post in the Shiite theocracy. The Iranian constitution announced that after Ebrahim Raisi’s death, the first vice president, Muhammad Mokhber, would become president. Iran’s activities won’t be affected by the disaster, Khamenei has publicly promised Iranians.
Israel has yet to provide an immediate official reaction. However, last month, in response to an Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Damascus that claimed the lives of two Iranian generals, Tehran retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones directed at Israel. While most of these projectiles were intercepted, tensions seemed to have subsided since then. The escalation peaked last month when, under the leadership of Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran deployed numerous drones and ballistic missiles at Israel after an airstrike on an Iranian Consulate in Syria, resulting in casualties among Iranian military personnel, including two generals and five officers.
Why would the Middle East face issues as a result of the helicopter crash?
Every attack that is traded in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas—which has also involved other Iranian allies—raises the potential of a broader war.
Unexpected events could make this risky scenario worse, such as the disappearance of a helicopter carrying top officials.
Israel has always considered Iran to be its greatest threat since Tehran has ballistic missiles, a controversial nuclear programme, and support networks dedicated to destroying Israel.
Iran views itself as the main supporter of Palestinian resistance to Israeli domination, with Iranian authorities advocating for the annihilation of Israel.
Firm-minded Regarded as Khamenei’s successor apparent and protégé, Raisi attacked Israel last month, saying that “the Zionist Israeli regime has been committing oppression against the people of Palestine for 75 years.”
It is believed that Israel has attacked Iranian nuclear scientists and senior military officers on several occasions throughout the years.
Israel has not responded to the incident, and there is no evidence linking it to Sunday’s helicopter mishap.
The enduring apprehension that Persian Gulf Arab countries harbour towards Iran has also been a major factor in Saudi Arabia’s decision to investigate restoring diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, as well as the UAE and Bahrain’s similar decision.
Iran has supported Hamas, which spearheaded the Oct. 7 raid into Israel that started the Gaza conflict, and the more radical but smaller Palestinian Islamic Jihad throughout the years with financial and other backing. However, there is no proof that Iran took a direct part in the assault.
Iran’s leaders have shown support for the Palestinians ever since the conflict began. Much more has been done by their regional partners. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, Israel and the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran’s most sophisticated military ally, have been engaged in a low-intensity struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to evacuate as a result of the nearly daily exchange of strikes between the two sides along the Israel-Lebanon border. Though it would be terrible for both countries, the issue hasn’t yet escalated into a full-fledged war.
Iran’s influence extends far beyond the Middle East and its ongoing rivalry with Israel
Suspicions surrounding Iran’s nuclear aspirations have persisted among Israel and Western nations, who fear that its ostensibly peaceful nuclear program might be a facade for developing nuclear weapons, thus posing a threat to global non-proliferation endeavors.
The withdrawal of then-President Donald Trump from the landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers in 2018, along with the imposition of stringent sanctions, prompted Iran to gradually disregard the constraints set by the agreement. At present, Iran is enriching uranium to levels nearing 60% purity, edging closer to the threshold of weapons-grade purity at 90%. Moreover, Iran has interfered with surveillance cameras installed by the U.N. nuclear agency and limited access to its facilities for some of the agency’s most seasoned inspectors. Despite Iran’s insistence on the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, suspicions persist among the United States and other nations regarding Iran’s alleged active pursuit of nuclear weapons until 2003.
Although widely believed to possess nuclear capabilities, Israel has never formally acknowledged its possession of such weapons.
Additionally, Iran has cultivated a significant partnership with Russia, particularly in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Accusations have been leveled against Iran for supplying explosive drones that have inflicted considerable damage on Ukrainian cities, exacerbating tensions in the region.