Iran's President Missing After Helicopter Crash

[Azmarlin39a]

Israel is being suspected in the crash. If proven, things could surely “Mushroom “ in that area.

[WobblyPossum]

I’m skeptical about this being an Israeli operation. Assassinating Iran’s President in a helicopter crash made to look like an accident is some Jason Bourne spy movie stuff. This would probably be the greatest, most complicated, and most difficult targeted killing operation in intelligence history. Unless some actual evidence comes to light linking this to an Israeli action, I think either a mechanical failure or internal Iranian political machinations are much more likely causes.

[Stephanie B]

Israel is being suspected in the crash. If proven, things could surely “Mushroom “ in that area.

Some people in that region of the world blame Israel for a cloudy day.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Aviation Week said it was a Shah area 212. Wondered why they put two leaders in an old craft. The other two made it safely. Were they nearby?

[blues]

I guess if Kobe Bryant could die in a helicopter crash, and one of my partners could die in a helicopter crash in the line of duty, there's no special dispensation for these mutts either.

[RevolverRob]

Just speculating, but given Israel's technology and capabilities, I wouldn't be surprised if the leadership of Iran want minimal to no technology on these helicopters, as they worried more about an adversary using their position information against them than the technology helping them.

Quick note: Crash was in/on the border of Azerbaijan. The Iranian Prez was leaving Azerbaijan. There are multiple entities with a vested interest in dropping high ranking Iranians out of the sky over places not called Iran.

I also question pilot training and capability. Iran has been under sanctions since 1979 when the Bell trainers pulled out, and isn't like they get tech pubs and spare parts from Bell, and have access to FlightSafety and Bell for training. Frankly, I am surprised they aren't flying newish Russian helicopters.

I think it was CFIT. Given both pilot training and possible that the pilot was not used to operating in that area.

Finally, I don't necessarily believe the reports of survivors. If this crash is bad, they might want to be buying time to figure out their political leadership, using a search as cover for that process. It also strikes me as odd they have Turkish drones searching in Iran for their President.

For these reasons, I have no idea what the real story is.

I assume the Turkish drone was used because Azerbaijan and Turkey are close allies and that drone was probably the closest available for rapid response.

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I would not ascribe this to anything that isn't a stacked set of problems leading to a crash. Older helicopters of unknown maintenance + unknown pilot capabilities + unknown terrain + changing weather conditions + get there'itis = One dead Iranian President and Foreign Minister.

The fact that no one really cares is just...reality.

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That all said - I wouldn't put it past the Iranians to have whacked him themselves so they could blame Israel. I don't think the Israelis, CIA, or anyone else actually had fuck all to do with this.

[ccmdfd]

I guess if Kobe Bryant could die in a helicopter crash, and one of my partners could die in a helicopter crash in the line of duty, there's no special dispensation for these mutts either.

And Stevie Ray vaughan, and Troy Gentry, and..

From a Layman's perspective those darn things are not very prone to survivable crashes

[Glenn E. Meyer]

All this is movie stuff. Yevgeny Prigozhin did fall from the sky. Also, Azerbaijan has had good relations with Israel and Israeli drones played a major part in Azerbaijan kicking the crap out of Armenia a few years ago (along with Turkish drones). I've read that Israel used Azerbaijan and Iranian rebels in Azerbaijan to penetrate Iran and carry out operations - all those scientists who went BOOM or shot up by robot machine guns.


But Blues is correct, planes and helicopters do just fall out of the sky. Look at the tourist copters landing in the Hudson periodically.

[Guerrero]

Maybe they were using Taliban pilots?

[Crusader]