Russia is ready to provide aid in searching for Iranian president's helicopter missing in Iran, the Russian FM spokeswoman told Sputnik.

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The Red Crescent denied local media reports that a helicopter carrying the president had been discovered.

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Yaghoub Soleimani, secretary general of the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, told Sputnik about the search and rescue operation

“Local conditions in the area where the helicopter carrying the president and foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran made a hard landing are difficult to navigate, there is heavy fog, it is raining and there are vegetation features,” he said.

"Unfortunately, night has already fallen and the rescue forces are trying their best. Red Crescent Rapid Response Teams, as well as other groups including the IRGC, Basij [Iranian paramilitary force] and army, joined forces and were deployed in the region. As a rule of thumb, the first 3-4 hours are the golden hours, but given the weather conditions of the area, these figures vary somewhat. We hope to hear good news soon."

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Japan's Hiroshima, Nagasaki lodge protest over recent US subcritical nuclear test

The administrations of Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki prefectures, which came under the US atomic bombing during the WWII, have lodged a protest to Washington over the recent subcritical nuclear experiment at the Nevada National Security Site.

"Such a conduct is totally unacceptable as it betrays the wishes of the hibakusha [victims of the US atomic bombings in Japan] who have been appealing that 'no one else should suffer as we have,' and millions of others who seek the abolition of nuclear weapons. On behalf of the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima, I vehemently protest and demand that all future nuclear tests be cancelled," Hiroshima City Mayor Matsui Kazumi said in his letter to Joe Biden and US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Saturday.

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the US dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Around 220,000 people — mostly civilians — were killed in the attacks and 200,000 more died from deadly radiation exposure.

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Rescuers are approaching the suspected crash site of the Iranian president's helicopter, according to media, citing the Iranian Red Crescent

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▪️The latest on Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crash

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The helicopter that crashed with the Iranian president on board was an American Bell 412, AP reports.

What is known about this machine:

▪️It is a mass model but quite old in its design;

▪️It is an improved version of the Bell 205, and the 205, in turn, is a modified civilian version of the utilitarian army helicopter Bell UH-1 Iroquois from the Vietnam War;

▪️It can carry eight to nine passengers on board alongside two pilots. The maximum take-off weight is 5 tons, and the flight altitude is 5.3 thousand meters;

▪️Its engine is reliable: if it is properly maintained, there should be no problems;

▪️At one time, Iran had about 10-12 such helicopters.

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There is currently no information about the exact location of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister, Sputnik's correspondent Shiva Abshenas reports from the national emergency headquarters of the Iran's Red Crescent Society.

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The exact location of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister has been identified and a signal from the phone of one of the crew members has been received from there, Tasnim News Agency quoted IRGC as saying

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The Turkish Defence Ministry said it had provided Iran with an Akıncı drone and a helicopter with a night vision system to take part in the search for the helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi

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Israel risks a ‘military coup’ and creation of Palestinian state in its biggest crisis ever - expert

Israeli War Cabinet Minister and former Army General Benny Gantz threatened to resign unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepts his plan for the resolution of the Gaza conflict. The plan in question involves the demilitarization of the enclave and the creation of a multinational civilian administration.

While Gantz set the deadline for this plan at June 8, Netanyahu claimed that accepting these demands would end in a defeat for Israel.

Commenting on the conundrum, Tel Aviv-based international relations expert Dr. Simon Tsipis explains that Gantz’s plan would ultimately result in the creation of a Palestinian state, which is unacceptable for Zionist factions currently controlling the government.

Netanyahu thus finds himself in quite a predicament as giving concessions to Gantz and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who urged Netanyahu to declare that Israel has no plans to establish military control over Gaza, would cause Zionist leaders like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir to pull out of the coalition, and vice versa.

“This is clearly the biggest crisis in Israel’s history,” Dr. Tsipis remarks, arguing that the Israeli government now finds itself on the brink of collapse.

He also highlights another aspect of the problem: both Gantz and Gallant are former Israeli generals.

“There may be a risk of a military coup, because if Gantz and Gallant – they are former generals and former heads of the general staff – if they decide to seize power and call upon their former colleagues, then this move would mean a military coup in Israel, the ouster of Benjamin Netanyahu by convincing him to relinquish his power,” Dr. Tsipis speculates.

Whether he makes concessions to Gantz or not - either way, Netanyahu may be looking at the collapse of his government and the end of his political career, he stresses.

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The imam of Tabriz city, who was in the helicopter with the President Raisi, was in contact twice after the hard landing and reported feeling unwell, Iran's deputy foreign minister said

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How countries reacted to the crash of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter:

🇷🇺 Russia is ready to provide all necessary assistance in the search for the missing helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

🇹🇷 "Turkiye is in close coordination with Iran and is ready to provide any assistance in the search for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter," Turkish President Erdogan stated.

🇦🇿 "We are very concerned about the news that the Iranian President's helicopter has made an emergency landing and we are ready to provide all assistance in this regard," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.

🇵🇰 "We are looking forward to good news. We pray and wish health to the honourable President and all the people of Iran," Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif said.

🇮🇳 "I deeply regret the reports of the crash of the Iranian President's helicopter. We express our solidarity with the people of Iran in these difficult times and pray for the President and his delegation," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said it was following the news with concern and stood by its sister country, the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The foreign ministries of 🇶🇦 Qatar and 🇦🇲 Armenia said the countries are ready to provide all necessary support to the situation of the Iranian president's helicopter.

🇮🇶 Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has expressed great concern over the crash of the helicopter of the Iranian president and his satellites.

"The leadership and people of Yemen support the people of Iran and its leadership in their difficult situation. We ask God to bring back Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi and his comrades safely," said Mehdi Al-Mashat, head of 🇾🇪 Yemen's Supreme Political Council.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered two advanced aircraft, helicopters and 50 professional mountain rescuers to be sent to Tabriz to help in the search for Iranian leader Ibrahim Raisi's helicopter, Iranian news agency Tasnim reports, quoting Igor Levitin, Russian Presidential Advisor.

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