Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi Dies in Helicopter Crash: Mzansi Discusses Possible Cause of Accident

• South Africans extended condolences to Iran after the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, recently died
• Raisi and Iran's foreign minister were travelling in a helicopter when it crashed in a snowy mountainous terrain in the country
• Professor John Stremlau from Wits' Department of International Relations, School of Social Sciences told Briefly News what would happen in Iran
• The helicopter was completely incinerated, and netizens mourned his death, extending their sympathy to the country's citizens

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, outbreaks, nature and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for seven years.

IRAN – South Africans were saddened by the news that Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi died in a horrific crash that claimed his life and the foreign minister Hosein Amirabdollahian on 19 May.

Read also

Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Pallo Jordan and 3 other politicians caught with fake academic qualifications

Iranian president dies in crash

According to SABC News, Raisi and Amirabdollahian travelled over a mountainous region in the Western Azerbaijan province. The helicopter they travelled in was wholly burned, and all of the passengers were confirmed dead. Images from the site showed that the aircraft may have slammed into the peak.

Raisi won the elections and has been in power since 2021. He was tipped to take over from his mentor, Iran's supreme leader Khamenei. His presidency has been marked by a clampdown on anti-government protests and an aggressive push on nuclear talks with other global superpowers.

Wits University professor speaks to Briefly News

Professor John Stremlau from Wits' Department of International Relations, School of Social Sciences told Briefly News what he thought Raisi's death meant.

Read also

MK Party wants two-thirds majority to change Roman-Dutch law, will challenge ConCourt ruling at UN

"I hope press reports in major US papers are correct that the Biden Administration and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei are ‘seeking ways to cool tensions’. SA appears to be helping in this regard by last week’s compelling and well-documented presentation at the International Court of Justice regarding the terrible situation in Gaza. Iran would agree, of course, but a regime change in Israel is essential as are hostage release compromise by Hamas," he said.

Netizens send condolences to the country

South Africans on Facebook sent condolences to the country, and some shared theories about what happened.

Baba Tawe said:

"USA and Benyamin Netanyahu are behind this."

DearSam Maluleka said:

"World War 3 is so close."

Richard Sbusiso said:

"Their deaths will raise a lot of questions."

Martin Van Wyk said:

"The same will happen to these South Africans who are interfering with Israeli matters."

Gift Sibiya said:

Read also

Democratic Alliance convinced it has a solid campaign for 2024 General Election

"This is a "marker event." Something's coming. Whether what is coming is good or evil, it doesn't matter, but we better be prepared."

Former PAC president Motsoko Pheko died at 93

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that Motsoko Pheko, the former president of the Pan Africanist Congress, died at the age of 93.

Pheko passed away in April this year after being the president of the PAC. He joined the party in 1960 and was exiled for 30 for his anti-apartheid activities.

Source: Briefly News