The short answer is not much. However, instability could certainly affect the economy. Following the announcement of the news, the Iranian Rial plummeted against the US Dollar.
Jiyar Gol BBC Persian
Many around the world are closely watching the developments in Iran, wondering if there will be significant changes to Iran’s policies in the region if President Ebrahim Raisi were to be harmed.
The short answer is not much. However, instability could certainly affect the economy. Following the announcement of the news, the Iranian Rial plummeted against the US Dollar.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, expressed hope that the president and accompanying officials will return safely to the nation. He requested prayers for them and assured the Iranian people not to worry, as there will be no issues in running the country.
In the eyes of most Iranians, it is the supreme leader and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) who make major political and foreign policy decisions.
Raisi is one of the most conservative presidents Iran has ever had and is very close to the supreme leader. He is also one of the serious contenders to succeed as Iran’s supreme leader.
What’s been happening?
A major search operation is taking place in the mountains of north-west Iran, where a helicopter reportedly carrying President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has gone missing.
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iranians to “not worry” following reports of the helicopter crash, saying “there will be no disruption in the country’s work”
- The IRNA news agency reported that more than 40 rescue teams using search dogs and drones were sent to the crash site
- Raisi was returning from an area near the Iran-Azerbaijan border, where he opened two dams with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev, before reports of an accident emerged
- Aliyev said he was “profoundly troubled” after hearing news of the helicopter crash, adding that Azerbaijan was ready to offer any assistance needed
- A US state department spokesperson said it was “closely following reports of a possible hard landing”, but offered no further comment
- Iran’s interior minister said it will take “time to get to the location” of the crash site because of “bad weather conditions and fog in the area”
