What could have caused Raisi’s helicopter crash? Veteran Russian pilot weighs in

Helicopters are all-weather vehicles, Vadim Bazykin, an honored Russian helicopter test pilot, tells Russian media as he comments on Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s crash.

“A helicopter’s weakest point is, unfortunately, the crew because not many pilots are able to fly in bad weather,” Bazykin says, adding that an experienced crew should know the ABC of flying over mountainous terrain.

When entering an area with dense fog, pilots are obliged to calculate a safe height, he explains. According to him, Raisi’s helicopter seems to have flown below the permissible height.

“The fog is usually only 300-500 meters thick. The pilots should have checked meticulously if there was any chance to land and if not – they should have flown back. There are no other options,” the expert underscores.

Touching upon a possible technical defect of Raisi’s US-made Bell-212 helicopter, Bazykin emphasizes that security comes first when it comes to presidential vehicles.

He adds that even though the presidential helicopter was “a very reliable” yet outdated vehicle, it was almost surely equipped with new engines because of security considerations. “So there is no need to blame technical problems that caused the crash of Raisi’s vehicle," the expert concludes.

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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says he opposes the expanded use of US-supplied Ukrainian weapons for strikes into Russian territory

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How Iran’s economic ties with Russia blossomed under Raisi

Over the years, Russia-Iran economic cooperation has proven to be a win-win partnership. Here’s a quick look at how bilateral ties picked up steam under the late Iranian president.

▪️When Ebrahim Raisi assumed power in 2021, Russia and Iran achieved a historic trade turnover of approximately $4 billion, despite severe sanctions and pandemic-related economic challenges.

▪️Under Raisi, and with Moscow’s engagement, economic cooperation kept expanding, with trade turnover reaching $4.6 billion in 2022, marking a 20% growth within the year.

▪️At the end of Iran's 2022 fiscal year, Russia led investments in the country, totaling $2.76 billion. (almost 2/3 of total foreign contributions).

▪️Raisi sought to strengthen transport cooperation, putting special emphasis on the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC). He pushed to accelerate the construction of the strategic multi-mode transit route, connecting Iran, India, Persian Gulf countries, Central Asia, Russia and Europe. The ambitious project involving the nations of the Global South looks to solidify trade connectivity among major megacities.

▪️"The implementation of the North-South Corridor project will be of particular importance for stability in the region," interim FM Ali Bagheri Kani said. He noted that thanks to Iran's "exceptional geopolitical location" reaching the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Eurasia and the Caspian Sea, Iran "can contribute to economic growth and economic potential of all the countries of the region."

▪️Aiming to ramp up Iranian-Russian all-round cooperation, Raisi and Putin agreed on a bilateral comprehensive treaty during the 2022 talks. The draft of the core document is now in a high degree of readiness and will bring bilateral ties to an entirely new strategic level.

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Russia urges the United States to continue to respect its commitments regarding the ban on nuclear tests, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

"The Russian Federation calls on Washington to continue to follow its obligations in the field of the ban on nuclear tests, as well as to abandon the destructive policy towards the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and take urgent measures to ratify the treaty," she said.

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World leaders know Ukrainian conflict can only be resolved by US-Russia talks

The upcoming summit in Switzerland, ostensibly intended to help achieve a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, appears to have been snubbed by many of the prospective participants due to the “unrealistic approach” adopted by the event’s organizers, says Paolo Raffone, a strategic analyst and director of the CIPI Foundation in Brussels.

During an interview with Sputnik, Raffone points out that not only Russia was not invited to the summit, but the conference itself is aimed at promoting the so-called Zelensky ‘peace formula,’ a scheme that includes the demand for Russia to cede a part of its territory to Ukraine as a precondition for ending the Ukrainian conflict.

“Such an unrealistic approach is the reason for many invitees not attending. The countries that have chosen not to attend are aware that a dialogue in the absence of Russia does not represent ‘the legitimate interests of the parties’,” he explains.

“Moreover, no peace talks are well funded if not based on reality. Any meaningful peace talks imply that the Ukrainian government must recognize the ‘new territorial realities’.”

“World leaders are aware that any resolution to the war in Ukraine can only find a settlement between the real world powers underpinning the events, notably Russia and US,” he adds.

“While behind the scenes contacts and talks are continuing, the majority of world leaders believe that the time is not yet ripe for ‘peace talks’ and that in any case the starting point cannot be other than the document drafted and mostly agreed in Turkiye in March 2022.”

The analyst also observed that the implementation of Zelensky’s plan would be impossible without the “direct military intervention of Western countries,” and that it has already become clear that “none of the Western countries will officially send troops to fight in Ukraine against Russia.”

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The Milad TV Tower in Iran's capital of Tehran went dark as a sign of grief over the death of Raisi and those accompanying him

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"At present, we see that the strategy of domination has been defeated and that the US is at its weakest. Independent states are going through their historical period of development."

Late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke out openly and sharply against current US and collective Western policies, criticizing their position on the conflict in Gaza. He also brought Iran into the SCO and BRICS, and called on the countries of both associations to abandon the dollar.

Sputnik has collected Raisi's most striking quotes in one video.

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The United States rejects allegations that Washington's sanctions on the supply of spare parts to Iran may have led to the breakdown of Raisi's helicopter, the White House said.

According to the State Department, Iranian authorities themselves are to blame for using the 45-year-old helicopter in bad weather conditions.

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Three US citizens arrested in Democratic Republic of Congo after failed coup

Congolese authorities have arrested three US citizens after a shootout in the capital Kinshasa on Sunday, alleging them to be CIA agents. After stopping the coup, the DRC Armed Forces announced that they had arrested 50 people, including three US citizens, Congolese army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Sylvain Ekenge told media.

The orchestrator of the coup, Christian Malanga, a Congolese with US citizenship, was killed during the confrontation with security forces. General Ekenge confirmed Malanga’s death, stating that he had been "definitively neutralized" in the operation.

Malanga’s son was one of the three US citizens arrested following the attack, Ekenge added.

Social media videos allegedly show one of the US citizens sitting on the ground, appearing to beg his Congolese soldiers to spare him.

US Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn said in a post on social media that she was “very concerned” by reports that US citizens had allegedly been involved in the events.

The attempted coup in the DRC occurred on May 19, 2024. Its target was President Felix Tshisekedi and his Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe, but local security forces quickly crushed the rebellion.

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▪️Iran president’s death may have ‘serious consequences internationally’

▪️Late Iran foreign minister’s drive to bolster ties with Saudi Arabia was ‘thorn in Israel’s side’

▪️What could have caused Raisi’s helicopter crash? Veteran Russian pilot weighs in

▪️Who is Iran's Interim President Mohammad Mokhber?

▪️Sputnik has collected Raisi's most striking quotes in one video

▪️World leaders know Ukrainian conflict can only be resolved by US-Russia talks

▪️Are G7 countries happier to steal Russian assets after US ‘diplomatic push’?

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🥴 The US Congress is exploring all options against the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it proceeds with arrest warrants for Israeli officials amid the war in Gaza, House Speaker Mike Johnson has said.

"In the absence of leadership from the White House, Congress is reviewing all options, including sanctions, to punish the ICC and ensure its leadership faces consequences if they proceed," he said.

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