Iran's official media confirmed on the 20th that the helicopter taken by Iranian President Lehi crashed in the mountains in the northwest of the country on the 19th, killing all the people on board, including Iranian President Lehi and Foreign Minister Abdullahian.
How does Iran cope with the sudden death of its president? How will this incident affect Iran's political situation and the situation in the Middle East?
High level investigation team has arrived at the scene of the accident
△ Rescue team rushed to the scene in dense fog after the accident
Lech's helicopter made a "hard landing" in East Azerbaijan Province, northwest of Iran, on the afternoon of the 19th. At the time of the incident, the president's helicopter team was going from Khoda Afalin County to Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan Province, to attend the inauguration ceremony of a petrochemical complex. The accident occurred in a mountainous area with complex terrain, bad weather, fog and cold, and low visibility. Some analysts said that weather, mechanical failure, etc. may be the cause of the accident.
It is reported that the crash was a US made Bel-212 helicopter. In the 1970s, Bell Helicopter Company of the United States set up a factory in Iran. After the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, Iran was sanctioned by the United States. In terms of helicopter manufacturing, it began to imitate the parts and even the whole machine of various models of Bell helicopters. The CNN quoted military analyst Sidric Leiden as saying that the difficulty in obtaining helicopter spare parts may be "a factor leading to the crash".
The Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has established a high-level investigation team headed by Ali Abdullahi, Deputy Coordinator of the Iranian Armed Forces, including Iranian technical experts.
The investigation team has arrived at the scene of the helicopter accident in East Azerbaijan Province to investigate the cause of the accident.
Funeral and new presidential election schedule announced
△ On the 20th local time, rescue workers were working at the scene of the helicopter crash.
After the search for the remains at the scene of the helicopter accident was completed, the bodies of the victims were moved to Tabriz on the 20th after sorting and cleaning. Iran will hold five farewell ceremonies for the bodies of President Lech and other victims of helicopter accidents, and Lech will eventually be buried in Mashhad, his birthplace.
The time and place of the five funeral ceremonies were as follows: on the morning of the 21st local time, in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province; In the afternoon of the 21st, in Qom City, Qom Province; On the 22nd, in the capital Tehran; On the morning of the 23rd, in Birjand, South Khorasan Province; On the afternoon of the 23rd, in Mashhad, Khorasan Province, Razawi. The above arrangement adds the ceremony of Biljand to the previously announced agenda, which is reported that Lehi is the representative of South Khorasan Province in the Iranian expert meeting.
△ On the evening of the 20th local time, people in Tabriz mourned at the mosque the victims of the Iranian President Lehi, Foreign Minister Abdullahian and other helicopter accidents.
The committee composed of Iran's First Vice President Mukhber, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and Iran's Chief Justice Officer held a meeting on the 20th and made arrangements for Iran's presidential election. The Commission announced that the registration time for presidential candidates was from May 30 to June 3, the election campaign would be held from June 12 to June 27, and the presidential election would be held on June 28.
From Prosecutor to President
Lech was elected President of Iran in June 2021 and took office in August of the same year. He made important contributions to safeguarding Iran's security and stability and promoting national development and prosperity. Some reports said that Lehi had won the trust of Supreme Leader Khamenei and important appointments, and might have been the successor of the Supreme Leader.
In terms of diplomacy, during the presidency of Leahy, the relations between Iran and the United States and the West remained tense, and the negotiations between Iran and the United States on the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement did not make progress. However, in recent years, Iran has actively expanded its peripheral diplomacy, restored diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, and opened a new stage of cooperation with the Gulf States. In addition, Iran has also become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS countries. The New York Times article commented that Iran promoted the implementation of a diplomatic strategy aimed at expanding its influence in the Middle East region during Lech's presidency.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 20th, saying that Lehi and Abdullahian, as Iranian President and Foreign Minister respectively, have played a historic, influential and lasting role in Iran's political and foreign relations history. They made efforts to enhance Iran's position in the international community, strengthen Iran's national cohesion, and consolidate the friendship and emotional ties between regional countries. The statement said that their departure would not affect Iran's diplomatic agencies' determination to safeguard national interests or Iran's determination to continue to play an effective and constructive role in regional and international affairs.
The whole country of Iran is immersed in great grief
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced that Iran will carry out a five-day public mourning after President Lehi was killed in a helicopter accident. The social platform logos of Iran's mainstream media have all turned black and white to express condolences. The landmarks "Natural Bridge", "Freedom Tower" and "Murder Tower" in Tehran, Iran's capital, will turn off their lights on the evening of the 20th to commemorate. At the same time, entertainment activities and some sports events in Iran this week have been canceled.
On the afternoon of the 20th, Iranian people held a rally in Tehran, the capital, to mourn President Leahy and those killed in the accident. At the event site, thousands of people gathered in a square in the center of the capital Tehran. Many people hold a portrait of Leahy with serious expression, while some people cover their faces and cry.
Many people on the scene pointed out that despite the tragic death of Lech, the development of the country will not be disrupted. People will unite and continue to move forward along the path of President Lech, making contributions to Iran's progress.
Iran's internal affairs and diplomacy will not change
△ Ali Bageri Karni, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran (information map)
The Iranian government issued a statement on the 20th saying that the government will continue to operate. According to Iranian media reports, Iran's first Vice President Mukhber will serve as President in the next 50 days until the election of a new President. Ali Bageri Karni, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, was appointed Acting Foreign Minister.
From the perspective of Iran's power structure, Iran has a mature leadership succession mechanism, and the president is not the highest leader of the country, but also the highest leader. Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project of the International Crisis Research Organization, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, pointed out that Khamenei and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps still have an absolute say in foreign strategic decision-making. Therefore, many analysts believe that this incident will not have a major impact on Iran's internal and foreign affairs, nor will it trigger significant policy changes.
It is believed that the death of President Leahy will have a certain negative impact on Iran's political and economic fields, and the sudden death of leaders will, to some extent, affect people's confidence in economic development. The death of Leahy will also interrupt the pace of Iran's political evolution.
But on the whole, the impact of this tragedy on Iran is limited. At present, Iran's first vice president has begun to perform his duties, and the helicopter accident will not have a fundamental impact on national operations. In addition, the current political arena in Iran is dominated by conservatives. Even if a new president is elected in the future, conservatives are still likely to continue to govern, and there will be no fundamental changes in Iran's domestic and foreign policies in the future.
The situation in the Middle East may increase
The death of President Lehi of Iran may add uncertainty to the situation in the Middle East. Iran is the main influence in the Middle East. The helicopter accident may bring the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran on the Iranian nuclear issue to a standstill.
△ On May 18 local time, Israeli army tanks drove in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
The Palestine Israel issue will also add new variables due to this incident. Iran is a major supporter of the anti Israel front. As the "backer" of the anti Israeli armed forces, there are political changes in Iran, which may have an uncertain impact on Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Yemeni Hussain armed forces, etc.
Editor in charge: Chen Yan SN225
