Canadian Iranian journalist and documentary filmmaker
Reaction is pouring in from around the world, after reports of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashing near Iran’s border with Azerbaijan.
With Raisi’s fate unknown, world leaders, opponents of the Islamic Republic as well as its apologists are rampant with posts on social media.
Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted their concerns for Raisi and other Iranian officials on that flight and reaffirmed their commitment as a close ally of Iran.
The Republic of Azerbaijan tweeted their alarm over the news, and declared themselves a friendly nation of the Islamic Republic, willing to provide any necessary support.
The President of Azerbaijan, IIham Aliyev, posted on X, that he was “profoundly troubled by the news” and sent his “prayers” to Raisi and all involved. Raisi was returning to Iran from a visit to the Azerbaijani border where he met with Aliyev, and they cut the ribbon on a major dam along their shared border.
The official X account of the President of Pakistan also expressed their “heartfelt prayers & good wishes for the well-being & safety of President Raisi."
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted to X his deep concern over reports of the helicopter crash and said he prays for the Iranian president and his entourage.
The US State department reportedly told Margaret Brennan of CBS News that it has “no further comment at this time.”
While government loyalists expressed prayers and hopes for Raisi’s well-being, people against the Islamic Republic expressed joy at the unconfirmed news of his potential death.
Prominent human rights activist Masih Alinejad posted to X a video of the daughters of Minoo Majidi, a 62-year-old woman who was killed by the government security forces during the September 2022 Woman-Life-Freedom uprisings in Iran, as having a toast to the news.
Alinjead also declared today as "Happy World Helicopter Day," and wrote that "this is the only crash in history where everyone is worried if someone survived."
Many social media users critical of the Iranian regime, posted videos of fireworks in Iran, reportedly celebrating the news.
Human rights advocate Nazanin Boniadi wrote that Iranians are celebrating this as “karmic justice,” as he was responsible for the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, and is widely known as the “butcher of Tehran.”
A popular anchor with Israeli media, Emily Schrader with Ynet news, tweeted that the incident involving Iran's President could lead to another massive uprising in Iran.
