Unless some additional visual media is forthcoming, an investigative look (not just from me) into the Iranian helicopter crash does not look imminent. What I will say is it reminds me an awful lot of the Prigozhin plane crash nearly 7 months ago. You can read about that saga starting here:
Practically the first thing that strikes me in comparison with this helicopter scene is the quantitative disconnect on information. That's because the Prigozhin affair was totally spotlighted; this one is an unpublished spy novel in a relative sense. Day and night. Comedy and Tragedy.
But as easy as it is to write up what has happened; it was escaping me to express effectively what hadn't happened in this incidence. That's when I happened on these posts this morning and thought they would be as helpful for you to frame this event as they were for me. I really can't improve on this.
🔸//The Wire//2200Z May 20, 2024//
//PRIORITY//
//BLUF: IRANIAN PRESIDENT KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH. SAUDI KING HOSPITALIZED WITH INFECTION. SOUTH CAROLINA PORTS OFFLINE DUE TO CYBER ISSUE.//
-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----
-International Events-
Iran: Yesterday a helicopter carrying the Iranian President (and other VIPs) crashed in the mountains just north of Tavil. According to Iranian state media, one of the survivors was able to make a distress call via satellite phone before contact was lost. Upon notification of the incident, a neighboring Turkish military drone was dispatched to conduct an aerial search of the extremely remote terrain just south of the Iran/Azerbaijan border. The Turkish drone identified a large heat signature IVO grid: 38SPH4703992367. Ground search crews later identified this location as the crash site. No survivors were found at the site, and Iranian state media has confirmed the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, among others.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi state media confirmed that King Salman has been hospitalized following a recent illness. AC: Though reports are contradictory, King Salman has possibly been hospitalized due to pneumonia and/or a more general respiratory infection. Due to contradicting reports, it’s not clear as to if King Salman is currently hospitalized, or if he was merely examined at a hospital as an outpatient. Regardless, this is his second hospitalization in less than a month. As a reminder, King Salman handed over most royal duties to his son, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, a few years ago. However, King Salman still wields considerable status throughout the Middle East, in similar fashion to most aging monarchs that have provided an air of generational stability throughout the continent for decades. If King Salman’s health is declining, this could signal a new era of instability as the world seeks to test the Crown Prince as he fully steps into the role of monarch.
Slovakia: Various governmental ministers have indicated that Prime Minister Fico’s situation is improving, and that the most serious risks to his life have been averted. However, it will take more time to determine his overall condition, due to the continuing severity of his wounds.
Burkina Faso: Various anti-establishment media channels reported another attack on Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s residence Saturday night. Multiple gunmen conducted small arms attacks at the main gate of the Presidential Palace in Ouagadougou. AC: It’s not clear as to if this was a substantial attack, or a shoot-and-shoot style skirmish. This is at least the 6th attempt on Captain Ibrahim’s life since seizing power two years ago.
Red Sea/HOA: Over the weekend, Houthi forces successfully struck another oil tanker, the M/V WIND. Per CENTCOM’s statements Saturday night, coalition vessels responded to the WIND’s distress call as the WIND had lost steering and was taking on water. After a few hours, the crew was able to restore functionality and egress from the area under her own power.
-HomeFront-
South Carolina: A collection of ports have been shut down temporarily following undisclosed software issues. The South Carolina Port Authority originally stated this morning that cargo terminals would only be offline for a few hours, however the timeline for recovery has been pushed back multiple times today. AC: It is unclear as to if this software issue is affecting all South Carolina ports, or just the main North Charleston Terminal. In any case, cargo on and offloading has come to a halt while the issue is being mitigated.
-----END TEARLINE-----🔸
I left that ⬆ intact for integrity. If you prefer an audio of the analysis sections below (it is strictly on the Iranian issue), it is below the print:
🔸Analyst Comments:
Many technical details surrounding the Iranian helicopter crash do not fit within known Iranian military doctrine, or otherwise do not make sense. Based on the aerial imagery provided by Iranian media after search crews located the crash site, it is extremely unlikely that anyone survived the impact. Only the tail section of the helicopter remained relatively intact, whereas the rest of the crash site is extremely indicative of a high-speed collision. As such, these obvious details cast doubt on the satellite phone call that allegedly prompted the initial search. A passenger surviving the crash long enough to make a satellite phone call is possible. However, due to the whiteout conditions that possibly led to the crash in the first place, it is unlikely that anyone wounded would have survived such extreme temperatures for almost 24 hours with minimal (or without) survival gear.
Iranian state media issuing directly contradictory information following such an incident is standard, and to be expected following an incident of this magnitude. However, what is unexpected is the immediate declaration by Iranian authorities that this was an accident caused by bad weather and restricting visibility. Considering the capability for Iran to point the finger at any number of other nations, immediately going with an accident story is interesting.
The palpable elephant in the room is illustrated by the grand question…was this the result of an act of sabotage? At the moment, only a forensic examination of the evidence at hand will provide more clarity as to the potential for any nefarious activities. Right now the biggest indicator of nefarious intent is purely speculative instinct; world leaders critical of certain parties suddenly being shot, hospitalized, or killed in a helicopter crash within a few days is quite coincidental and very suspicious, even considering the complete lack of correlating information at present.
Though suspicious timing alone cannot be treated the same as definitive proof, absolutely perfect and airtight smoking-gun evidence is not necessary for basic risk assessment at the operational level. Nor is it needed in order for world leaders to take heed of the heightened risk to their personal safety that comes with the unprecedented tensions currently tightening around the world. In other words, no one can prove this incident was an assassination, but the various world leaders in similar diplomatic positions would likely benefit from treating it as such, just to be on the safe side.
Regarding this specific helicopter crash, nefarious intent may be easy to assess, but factoring in nefarious actions may be more difficult considering the overall situation. Flying in such mountainous and rugged terrain is exceptionally dangerous under the best of conditions, and outright fatal in even the slightest inclement weather. Contrary to popular belief, most helicopter pilots rely on visual cues to fly. Even for the most experienced IFR-rated helicopter pilot, it is an uncomfortable prospect to fly at high altitude (where the aircraft engines are already struggling due to the lack of oxygen, and the rotor blades strain to generate lift through the thinning air), in narrow canyons with no visibility. If the weather was indeed as bad as Iranian state television claims it was (which can happen in mere seconds in such mountains), a normal flying day can transition into a nightmare scenario faster than a suitable landing site can be found.🔸
🔸What is more interesting are the overall circumstances of the incident, along with the details of the rescue attempts. For instance, it is strange that an aircraft full of VIPs was flying alone instead of in echelon with a sister ship. Most world leaders of such notoriety would be expected to fly with at least one other helicopter escort, purely for maintenance and security reasons. A sister ship also is absolutely vital in the event that something happens to one of the aircraft; having an aerial asset immediately on hand to check for survivors, radio for help, and coordinate emergency landing zones is why almost all militaries around the world (to include the heliborne transportation used by almost every other world leader) includes at least a pair of aircraft, not just one airframe.
Other details likely to cause international embarrassment are that Iran had to request assistance to locate the helicopter of their own President from another nation, Turkey. The Search and Rescue operation being headed up by the Iranian Red Crescent (instead of an IRGC military unit) also is quite telling. Understanding the difficulties of conducting Search and Rescue operations in such inhospitable and remote terrain, the lack (or failure) of technical SAR sensors and/or radios provides a wealth of information to the world regarding how seriously Iran treats threats, to include inclement weather. In other words, if the average tourist hiker climbing the neighboring peaks in Turkey has better access to Search and Rescue assets via consumer-grade devices, this does not bode well for the capabilities of a nationstate. As such, the transportation and security of Iranian officials (especially the Ayatollah) is almost certainly being re-examined following this incident. Only time will tell whether or not this incident was sabotage. However, considering the multiple high-risk practices illustrated by this incident, world leaders with similar travel habits are likely to take note of both the technical vulnerabilities as well as the coincidental nature of recent security incidents that have taken place around the world.
Analyst: S2A1
//END REPORT//🔸
⬆ Above from t.me/S2undergroundWire🔸
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There were many things that bothered me about the lack of information. This is just that kind of story in that kind of culture. In the Prigozhin crash we had too much information. But several parallels, too. As there were two companion helicopters that apparently took an entirely different route. No flight tracking seems to be available for those other flights even though they evidently had far less highly sensitive passengers. And why were those two very high level officials not segregated into the other choices? (Almost like they wanted to be targets.) I am just remembering that Prigozhin and Utkin had maintained a 100% discipline on never flying together before that fated flight. (In addition to the business manager - Chekalov.) The companion flight then had a mystery passenger manifest, two different flight paths, and a quick trip to Baku the next day. After the fact a host of “mechanical” issues were attributed in part to sanctions on Russia and then Wagner as well. I'm sure this won't surprise you, but sanctions from the US on Iran were an issue raised right from the start.
🇮🇷 🇺🇸 How Western sanctions on Iran contributed to tragic death of President Raisi & FM Abdollahian
The tragic death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entire delegation has sent shockwaves through the region, with some pointing fingers at US sanctions, alleging they contributed to the crash by restricting access to aircraft and spare parts.
"It's unfortunate that you have this tragedy, but it is indirectly linked to those countries and entities that unjustly impose unilateral sanctions against Iran in violation of the UN system," South African Ambassador-designate to India, Anil Sooklal, told Sputnik Africa, expressing concern over the impact of unilateral sanctions on Iran.
He emphasized that despite these challenges, Iran remains a vital player in the region, playing a crucial role in regional peace and stability. "The country has not collapsed. It's not a failed state."
Looking back on late President Raisi's tenure, Sooklal highlighted two key accomplishments: the restoration of diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, achieved without Western mediation, and Iran's admission into the BRICS+ organization.
👉 Read the full story!
t.me/sputnik_africa🔸
🔸🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran turned to the United States for help after the helicopter crash with Raisi, said the head of the US State Department press service, Matthew Miller. Washington was unable to provide assistance to Tehran "mainly for logistical reasons."
In addition, Washington rejects the accusation 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, the Iranian authorities themselves are to blame for using the 45-year-old helicopter in bad weather conditions.
| 💜🇷🇺 RD🔸
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I think that the points of mirroring between these two events are decidedly clear. Billions of prayers will be said.
🇮🇷 Countries that declared mourning for Iranian President Raisi:
⚫️ Iran - for 5 days;
⚫️ Syria and Lebanon - for 3 days
⚫️ Tajikistan - for 2 days
⚫️ Iraq, India, Turkey, Pakistan - for 1 day
On Tuesday, a quarter of the population will be in mourning, stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. t.me/wartimedia🔸
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While it may strictly be cultural there's no week+ of testing remains for identification purposes like in the Russian crash investigation. We have already started the funeral proceedings. However, we did have Iran step out before they were even found to state from the beginning this was an accident.
Practically the only element we don't have mirrored in some fashion yet is Larry (CIA) declining to confirm Raisi’s death.
I did find this to be highly interesting in the FWIW department since our resident government also won't play the maybe it wasn't an accident card.
I had pinned this yesterday morning and while it doesn't fit the narrative we are being given it offers food for wandering thought processes.
🔸🇮🇷 👨💼 💣 👃 🕵️ 👪 🏥
EVIDENCE OF PRESUMED ISRAELI INVOLVEMENT IN THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S ASSASSINATION
✍️Written by Hikaru Kitabayashi✍️
The earliest article found about the presumed death of the President of Iran is that of The Jerusalem Post, appearing online on 19 May 2024 at 23:18 Japan Standard Time (JST—hereafter, all times are given as JST). The article was 3224 keystrokes and 533 words in length, about 90 minutes work for an experienced writer who had all the research done for an article at hand and a storyline firmly decided upon.
The article was written so as to make it look like the president's assassination was by anti-government activists. The article had comments from allegedly 11 different online sources and implied referring to many more, indicating another hour or two of searching by someone who knew where to look. Moreover, it would imply online media already had enough time to react, sometimes rather elaborately, indicating another hour to two hours time when the president's helicopter crash was known to Israeli sponsored social media.
Dressing an article up for publishing online also takes time. If the work were done by a team (researcher, writer, and layout specialist) and the time needed to spawn anti-Iranian president comments online is added, we have an article that would have needed at least three hours to to be finished under optimal conditions. If the research and writing were the responsibility of one till then unprepared person, then we are looking at more like five hours of work. As no mention is made of prior research being done, we can estimate that Israeli sponsored comments were appearing online at around 16:00 or earlier. As ground control in Iran last heard from the president's helicopter at 20:30, we can assume that Israeli sources knew a crash would happen well before the earliest mention in Persian language broadcasting that was made at 21:48, exactly 90 minutes before the appearance of The Jerusalem Post article.
Needless to say, Iranian treatment of the story was different. When first mentioned, Iranian broadcasting simply stated that there was an unconfirmed report of an accident. At 21;51, news of a hard landing was given. News of a massive search was made at 21:53.
At 22:30, mention was made that this was already top news in Israel, indicate The Jerusalem Post article was written and published in an impossibly short time frame. At 00.44 on 20 May 2024 ABC News announced that, because of the helicopter crash, Mr. Biden was summoned to an urgent briefing. However, Iranian media were not yet using the term crash, but rather "hard landing" and holding out hope that the president might still be alive.
At 2:38 the European Commissioner for Crisis Management announced that "At Iran's request for assistance, we are activating the European Union's Copernicus EMS Rapid Response Mapping Service in light of the helicopter accident reported to be carrying Iran's president and foreign minister." Even in Europe, people were not using the term crash.
At 8:53, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia announced emergency rescue helicopters were sent to Iran. Also, that Russian forensic experts would be sent.
At 12:11, over 12 hours after the Jerusalem Post article, the word crash finally began being used in Iran. At 12:46, the first image of the dead bodies appeared and the word martyrs began being used, indicating the president and others had been assassinated.
In Israel, of course, government officials disclaimed responsibility. In America, the consensus was that there was no evidence of foul play and that the president was "killed"in a crash. One UK headline described him as being "confirmed dead". Indian news said "experts" saw Israeli involvement as unlikely. The experts, obviously, are not expert.
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This channel aims to unite interested individuals from around the world in an attempt to connect the dots. Subscriber participation is always welcome.🔸
And in the Biblical sense of things there's this:
🔸Israel's rabbis claim that "God descended over the mountains of Azerbaijan and took revenge in person on Iran" and that "God will take revenge on all those who hate Israel and the Jews."
Extremist Rabbi Meïr Aboutboul, of the Chabad of Bat Yam, called the late President Raissi "Tehran's executioner" and says this is what he reaps for hating "Israel". "God came in person to take revenge on him and his companions."
Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi Shlita, one of Israel's leading Kabbalists, who once claimed God would unleash storms, cyclones, hurricanes, floods and drought on all non-Jews in the region, said Raissi had "angered God" - "And God couldn't stand by and watch, so He struck down His avenging arm on our enemies to bring us justice."
Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri, who has already spewed out typically Talmudic words, compared Raissi to "Haman the wicked" in a long goyicidal mumbo-jumbo that we can't transcribe here, and whose ideas are sometimes taken from Purim/Book of Esther.
"No Goy who strikes Israel will be spared by the vengeful and vindictive God: all will be slaughtered by iron, by fire, by pestilence, by famine, by pestilence, by disunity, by disappearance and by every evil that can exist. To strike at Israel is to strike at God, and no one will escape the terrible punishment of this ultimate sacrilege."
Finally, cabalist rabbis claim to have invoked the help of the 666 aerial demon masters operating on Earth over Azerbaijan and "Taurus" to help them "punish Iran"...
Best kept as an anthology of human stupidity. https://t.me/strategika510🔸
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We then can look to create the whole “it was shot down” conspiracy narrative (to mirror the Prigozhin possibilities provided), so we have these:
🔸If Iran couldn't locate their own Presidential aircraft in this region for hours, it begs the question if they would be able to detect SAMs downing it.🔸
Possibly evacuating the team responsible for the shoot-down. t.me/twicetoldtales🔸
And to tie this up - first our continuing mirrors to the Prigozhin incident:
🇮🇷 Not a single version of Raisi’s helicopter crash has been confirmed yet, said the Iranian Ambassador to the Russian Federation. t.me/cbctvaz🔸
🇺🇸 The US is not involved in the helicopter crash with the Iranian president
This was stated by the head of the Ministry of Defense Lloyd Austin.
He also promised a “steady flow” of American aid to Ukraine week after week. t.me/cbctvaz🔸
And then the ones pertinent only to this Iranian one:
🇮🇷🇺🇸 U.S. conspiracy behind Raisi's helicopter crash?
Just a week ago, US was threatening Iran and India over the Chabahar port pack, saying that both countries "need to be aware of the potential risk they are opening themselves up to".
What is more, around a month ago, Iran and Pakistan resumed their gas pipeline project, with US saying to consider doing business with Iran "very carefully."
👀 Coincidence? t.me/geo_gaganauts🔸
In my 36 years of time on this planet, I have seen my share of idiots, but I now coronate @Telegraph as Queen of all idiots, whom until now have not comprehended what the "west" collectively has become and what sovereign states like #Iran are capable of nor how they operate. t.me/Marwa_OsmanLB🔸
Ibrahim Raisi became the twentieth leader of the state to die in plane crashes since 1936. t.me/infantmilitario🔸
🔸All satellite weather data in Northern Iran for the entire day of May 19 was deleted, which coincided with the crash of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi's helicopter. t.me/infantmilitario🔸
🐦⬛️🇮🇷🇮🇷 In Iran, unlike most countries, the president is not the head of state. The head of state of Iran is the supreme leader, who is elected to this position for life. Today, this function is held by Ayatollah Khamenei.
The president of Iran performs the classical representative functions, as well as the functions of the prime minister. The president is elected for 4 years and cannot hold office for more than two consecutive terms.
This division of power was consolidated after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Religious figures came to power: lawyers, imams, etc.
However, for Iran, Raisi's death is a heavy blow. According to many sources, he was supposed to become the next leader of Iran.
🚀 t.me/istocni_front🔸
(This last one may be partially correlated as the media were always reporting on Yevgeny’s “political ambitions” but since those were never evident to me, the tie goes to placing it here.)
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Regardless of your beliefs on this (or either) story, the narrative makers - and reporters - have once again potentially suspended reason for the right picture and frame. Narrative making is like that process. First you create (or find, buy, etc.) the picture and then you create the framing. Nothing new under the sun about that. But this mirroring in these two events cannot be accidental or unintended. Something to keep for a later date. As it is almost certain to pop up again.
As is the coincidence of the assassination attempt on Robert Fico happening this past week, and all the reports of other as yet unexecuted threats. Zelenskyy is the latest addition to that list.
More here:
We will be watching.
Absolutely fascinating stuff, thank you. Raises such very serious questions. In this world of AI and the so-called "cloud" it is getting harder and harder to try to determine the truth of what is happening, both in our personal lives, and on the wider scene. Unfortunately the wider scene does have an impact on our personal lives, too. Wending my way through this labyrinth, I am coming to pay more attention to writers like Karen Gordo, than to the "respectable" "mainstream" press, tied up as the latter are with their connections to corporate power.
Three helicopters on route to the same place, and the one that goes down is the one that's carrying Raisi. That's some (good or bad) luck there. *wink*