RT correspondent Abbas Juma, who was in Iran on project when President Raisi’s helicopter crashed, describes the disbelief that enveloped the nation when the information broke
All through the evening of Could 19-20, Iranian rescue groups searched by dense fog for the wreckage of the helicopter carrying the president and the international minister. The search was hindered by the climate circumstances and terrain, with the rain-soaked floor impeding each personnel and gear. In the meantime, Iranians throughout the nation prayed, wept, and anxiously awaited information.
Hope and loss
In the course of the evening, outstanding and respected regional and international media shops, in a frenzy for sensational updates, disseminated inaccurate details about the search efforts. Some later hurriedly eliminated these reviews. Social media was flooded with unexpectedly fabricated falsehoods, fueled by opponents of the Iranian authorities. In keeping with one broadly unfold rumor, mass celebrations erupted in Tehran, with claims that individuals have been rejoicing over the president’s dying and launching fireworks.
Refuting these blatant lies was not tough, as I spent the evening on Valiasr Road, certainly one of Tehran’s important thoroughfares. Loudspeakers broadcasting prayers have been promptly arrange within the sq., and journalists actively gathered the views of residents who had come out to help the president.
“We determined as a household to disregard social media and tv. They at all times combine issues up; you possibly can’t get the reality. It’s higher to wish and anticipate official statements,” Mustafa, one of many folks on the road, mentioned.
“We’re very involved and distressed. We pray to God for his protected return. We ask Allah and Imam Mahdi to convey him again to us unhurt,” a younger lady struggling to carry again tears mentioned. “He’s our father, the help of the Islamic Ummah, and a companion of the Supreme Chief.”
Sadly, the folks of Iran didn’t see their president return. The nation declared a interval of mourning, and the deceased have been honored in Tabriz, Qom, and Tehran. Ebrahim Raisi’s funeral will likely be held on Thursday in Mashhad, his hometown.
Chilly Calm
There isn’t any panic in Iran, solely ache. On the morning of Could 20, the Islamic Republic donned black for 5 days of mourning. Folks, particularly girls, went to work with faces swollen from the evening’s tears. The spiritual Iranians within the holy metropolis of Qom, whom I spoke with, consider that every part is within the palms of the Almighty. They put together themselves for dying every day, thus experiencing neither panic nor shock.
A part of my private agenda in Tehran was canceled, together with a number of conferences and interviews. Nonetheless, there was no political or public apathy. Notably, there have been no web points within the nation as of the time of writing.
Persons are awaiting the outcomes of the investigation into the crash, whereas the authorities resolve on the following steps. The primary theories are both weather-related or sabotage. If nature is to not blame, the first suspicion in Iranian society falls on Israel.
Native analysts recommend the dimensions of the incident may result in varied penalties. If Israel is discovered to be concerned, the state of affairs may turn into a ‘black swan’ occasion, pushing the world as soon as once more to the brink of a serious battle.
Way forward for the system
The president’s dying is a nationwide tragedy. Nonetheless, in contrast to most international locations, Iran has a supreme chief who directs the state and is deeply concerned in its particulars. The system won’t collapse as it’s designed to be resilient, with no indispensable figures. All state personnel are skilled accordingly. That is why the dying of the legendary Common Qassem Soleimani in a US assault in 2020 didn’t destabilize the nationwide safety equipment or weaken the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). One other normal (much less well-known within the media however equally skilled and efficient), instantly stepped in. Iran’s expertise pool is enviable.
In keeping with the structure, the performing president would be the first vp, Mohammad Mokhber. Elections are scheduled for June 28. Rumors are circulating that pro-Western politicians, who misplaced to Raisi and the conservatives just a few years in the past, might need an actual probability to return to the political enviornment. Nonetheless, within the 2021 presidential election, it was not simply Raisi who received, however the political course and beliefs he represented, reflecting the conservative phase of society. These are the individuals who crammed the cities the place farewells to the president and his staff passed off.
Reformists have turned from nationwide leaders to marginalized figures through the years. They failed spectacularly in parliament after which misplaced to Raisi within the elections. The Iranian folks have been disillusioned of their concepts; they’re thought of morally and politically bankrupt and also will face resistance from the safety forces and the clergy.
A person who cared
Raisi, the eighth president of Iran, and his time period in workplace have been mysteriously linked to the eighth Shiite Imam Ali al-Rida. The date Raisi took workplace and the date of his dying coincided with the day the Islamic Republic honors this holy determine. Many spiritual Iranians attribute particular significance to this symbolism.
“From the very starting of our acquaintance, lengthy earlier than he grew to become president, I famous his important trait – he was a person of his phrase. He had no ambitions; he was not concerned in worldly affairs, solely in serving God. I bear in mind pondering that I had recognized him all my life, although we had solely not too long ago met,” Ali Akbar, the director of the Worldwide Workplace of the Supreme Chief for US and EU Affairs, mentioned.
“It was very simple to work with Raisi as a result of we at all times knew that if we agreed on one thing, it might occur. We didn’t must count on unpredictable or inappropriate actions from him. He was at all times honest and easy. As soon as, way back, when Raisi gave the impression to be the deputy head of the judiciary, I approached him for assist. We had a company going through monetary issues that affected hundreds of individuals. He noticed me for the primary time, listened attentively, and solved the issue. Sure, it took a while, a few years, however the issue was resolved. Somebody of his stature may have simply ignored us. That’s how he led the nation.”
What’s subsequent?
On this context, it’s unattainable to not recall the latest tried coup in Turkey and the assassination try on the Slovak prime minister. There have been additionally unconfirmed reviews of an try on the Saudi crown prince. You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to consider that that is no coincidence.
It’s clear that the helicopter crash incident will likely be actively exploited by Iran’s adversaries each domestically and overseas, particularly throughout this politically weak interval main as much as the elections. The media has already began pushing the unsubstantiated narrative that Raisi’s helicopter crash was the results of an inside energy wrestle. There are additionally rumors of inside opponents to Iran-Azerbaijan cooperation.
It’s evident that the state of affairs will likely be destabilized till a brand new chief is in place, from whom a lot will rely.
In the long run, Iran will likely be nice. Supreme Chief Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei not too long ago assured this. Ali Akbar, who knew the president personally, reminds us that in 1981, a terrorist assault killed dozens of high-ranking members of the Islamic Republican Get together, together with its head, Mohammad Beheshti. The nation survived because of its strong personnel system. It is going to be the identical this time.
For now, the world waits for the investigation outcomes and the upcoming presidential election.
