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

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

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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's president Ebrahim Raisi died in a chopper crash
SA doesn't believe Raisi's death was an accident. Images: Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran via Getty Images and Iranian Red Crescent Society/Anadolu via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

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.

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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.

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"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:

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"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.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena is a Current Affairs Editor at Briefly News. He has a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON. He joined Daily Sun, where he worked for 4 years covering politics, crime, entertainment, current affairs, policy, governance and art. He was also a sub-editor and journalist for Capricorn Post before joining Vutivi Business News in 2020, where he covered small business news policy and governance, analysis and profiles. He joined Briefly News in 2023. Tebogo passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative Email: tebogo.mokwena@briefly.co.za

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