Australian Prime Minister reacts to Iranian President’s helicopter crash
An Iranian official is claiming that the president has passed away.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated that there is little more he can add to the reports of a helicopter crash carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
The helicopter, carrying Mr. Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, crashed in the mountainous northwest region of Iran.
“President Raisi, the foreign minister, and all passengers onboard the helicopter were killed in the accident,” a senior Iranian official informed Reuters.
Iranian state media have also acknowledged through recent social media posts that there are no survivors at the site of the Iranian president’s helicopter crash.
Mr. Albanese mentioned on Monday morning that they have only seen the reports and have no further information at this time.
Related Stories
“The reports suggest that the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister is missing and has not reached its destination,” he stated.
Amidst the Middle East conflict, Mr. Albanese expressed that Australia aims to collaborate with the international community to exert pressure on Iran to halt its “destabilising activities.”
“Whether through its support for Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, or the Houthis,” he added.
“We are committed to preventing the spread of conflict in the Middle East and promoting de-escalation in the region,” he said.
In addition to the president, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, other officials, and bodyguards were also on board during the incident.
No Sign of Life
Iranian state news agency IRNA has reported that there is no sign of life at the president’s crash site, located by a volunteer drone team from the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
“Upon discovering the president’s helicopter crash site, no signs of survivors were found,” stated the president of the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
Iranian state media have attributed the incident to bad weather and categorized it as an accident, noting that dense fog and harsh weather conditions hindered rescue efforts.
Officially, the Iranian authorities have stated that the president’s helicopter was compelled to make a “rough landing” in Dizmar forest between Varzaqan and Jolfa cities in East Azerbaijan province.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the Iranian envoy following the crash.
Meanwhile, Australia has recently imposed specific sanctions on five Iranian individuals and three entities in response to Iran’s “destabilising behavior” in the Middle East.
This includes sanctions against Iran’s defense minister, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, and the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani.
