Preferred, better science, better results by more than liebermann at the pentagon and this cnn cnn Breaking News hello, and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. Im paula newton and we are following Breaking News out of orawn or state media has now confirmed the deaths s of president Ebrahim Raisi and the countrys Foreign Minister after a deadly Helicopter Crash. Now rescue crews are now at a staging area. Those are live pictures where they are trying to assess where exactly the wreckage is and to begin, their recovery efforts. Iranian Officials Say the Helicopter Ran into trouble amid heavy fog on sunday afternoon. Images of the crash site in her ons East Azerbaijan province show the remote mountainous area where the aircraft went down. And you were looking at a photo of it right there. The president and other officials had been attending a Ceremony Morning for the opening of a new near the border with azerbaijan, rescuers faced difficult Weather Conditions overnight, including cold and heavy fog because they scrambled to local the crash site iranians were urged to pray for the president amid news of the crash. With the countrys Supreme Leader vowing that there will be no disruption in her arms work. Cnns Paula Hancocks is falling. All these developments and joins us now live from abu dhabi. We should say state media has officially declared that their presence i didnt has died and we have not heard again from the Supreme Leader, but just if you can bring us right up to date on what happened in any reaction that you have coming in well pull away now, do know that nine people on board that helicopter lost their lives in the Eastern Azerbaijan province we know that the president was on board. The Foreign Minister. We understand the governor of that province also, an imam of friday prayers of that province along with security, the pilots, the crew, nine people in, all, went down with that helicopter. Now you have mentioned the dire Weather Conditions. It took rescue teams around 16 hours to be able to locate and get to that area itself. The rescue teams were unable to put a helicopter into the air. They said because of the Weather Conditions, the fact that the okc was so thick visibility was very limited. We also heard from the rescue teams that there were subzero temperatures, that it was extremely cold in these areas. You can see from the images, a very mountainous area in an inhospitable terrain and sparsely populated. So thats the latest information we have. We do know also from state media that the government has convened an urgent meeting. They say that according to a photo that was provided by state media that the chair thats set president s raisi would usually sit in, had a black sash across it for morning. We understand from state media as well that there will be details in the hours to come about the morning procession, the process, the timing, the details, all those will come to us shortly through state media but people in iran will be waking up this monday morning to this shocking news that both the president and also the top diplomat have lost their lives in this Helicopter Crash of course, questions will be asked internally. Now about what happened, about whether why this helicopter was in the air with such dire Weather Conditions. We know it was in a convoy. There were three helicopters and all carrying the delegation of president raisi from theres an operation of the dam project just on the border with azerbaijan. There were three helicopters, two of them landed safely but the one carrying the president s and the Foreign Minister we know now did not Paula Hancocks for us and other derby continuing to track reaction really appreciate it. I want to bring in cnns chief International Anchor now Christiane Amanpour. Christiane really good to have your insights here. You interviewed the foreign a little bit over a year ago, you tried to interview the president. I just want to get your reaction to what really has been shocking news will pull. It is obviously shocking news. And it couldnt come at a more unstable time. So iran and for the region, iran faces, as you know, those internal protests and discontent that have been brutally in the aftermath of mahsa aminis debt. And that was under the direction of president racy and Supreme Leader and the Iranian Revolutionary guard corps. It also comes at a time when israel war on gaza against hamas continues. And as you note perennial shadow war between israel and iran that had been going on broke into the open over the last several weeks. That somewhat subsided after the reaction from both sides. But nonetheless, it shows the peril of the situation you can imagine for the United States, for the west, one of the most important issues if the Iran Nuclear Issue that has been somewhat contain after the 2015 Nuclear Agreement that president obama negotiated with iran and with europe and was rubber stamp for rubber stamped into officialdom by the entire United Nations process, president trump, as the urging also, Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu pool, the United States out of that and that caused much more uncertainty, instability over the process of de, around Nuclear Program we understand over the last week or so, they would some word from the iaea, the un nuclear agency, that they were back in talks with iran to make sure that everything was happening above board and within the nuclear regulations, the nonproliferation Treaty Beattie we wait to see what kind of work they were doing on that. And its known that the United States is trying to stabilize issues with iran, given the volatility the of the region right now as were inside iran, as you mentioned, the Supreme Leader ali khamenei, issued many statements before the news that he had its actually did actually been found dead saying that the nation was praying and youre bound to see days if not weeks of official morning organized its all over the country. He also said that the affairs of the country will not be disrupted or disturbed. To that point, there is a active succession. There is a line of succession. Theres the first theres the first Vice President , and youre bound to see at least interim measures being put in place. To ensure the continuous running of the system at one point before the mahsa amini death and before the protests thats the riots back in 2022 raisi, a very hard Line Fundamentalist with being considered a successor the Supreme Leader ali, how who himself is elderly, news of his illhealth and sort of frailty has appear to be vastly overstated over the years. However, he is aging and there needs to be a succession. There in place if that system is to continue writing, was then considered to have some words disqualified himself will this merged and sally, his reputation given the political and popular uprisings against him inside iran, as well as the economy being really bad for the people. He is not considered to have brought prosperity at all to the iranian nation if you look online on social media, you can see the reaction for many, many people both outside and inside iran. His most recent legacy will have been the brutal crackdown on the freedom life processes, the women life freedom protesters. And from his very early days, he was a very senior. Its not headed the judiciary process. And he had been accused or not to choose here. He had been overseeing some of the trials in the very early days of the revolution. And in one point, signing off on one that led to the execution of thousands of anti, anti regime us officials or accidents. So his career has been incredibly checkered, but nonetheless, its a big change and shop in a very volatile region are very volatile places. And as for hussein, amir, yes, i interviewed him and he is somebody whos had a huge amount of interaction with the un with international governments. And hes known very well around the world paula, because john, do you think that that will be a bit of a loss as discussing earlier, just that he was a man who certainly was nuanced in his Foreign Policy. Perhaps did the work that president , that iec didnt want to do or wasnt capable of doing. Do you think that at this pivotal time in the region and beyond that is quite a loss for iran as well. You know, pulling the truth of the matter is that iran is run by the Supreme Leader and more and more by the Iranian Revolutionary guard corps those are the people who run the country. The rest are acting at their service and their behest they are not independent you can have nuance you can have styled differences that can either be more abrasive or less. But the actual running of the country is is from a much higher level. So i think certainly an International Affairs and as National Security affairs. So i believe that that is likely not to change. And croissant, given that theyre going to have to have alexa so as i about 50 days, i guess theyve had these elections that a times give them certainly the veneer of legitimacy, if not in fact, a legitimacy do you believe that theres a potential for problems theyre given there was such low turnout in the election in which president , president and i, you see was elected and given as you rightly point out, the oppressive nature of the regime and the economic turmoil especially what that very large young population in iran well i think that is something we need to look for. I think one of the most important political statements by the people in recent years well, since the upright things in the protests over the death of my son the desperate desire for democracy and freedom and an economic future. I think that it was very sick if he cant. And the iranian structure, the regime was shocked at the very low turnout in those recent midterm parliamentary elections. Regional elections, i think the turnout was 41 , which was a historic low and for them no matter how manage these socalled elections are. And in the last several years, certainly on the raisi and before there was almost no choice. I mean, before they would play it, having some kind of choice, there would be potentially somebody from the reform crowd being allowed to run this time . Not at all during the last president ial election, a highly managed. And so when they came to these recent elections they use that, they hoped the regime as a barometer of faith in the system where they were told that the faith and the system is crumbling because the turnout was extremely low. So i think that is something to watch very carefully for in any future election. And i do also think its important to watch whether people decide to use this moment to again vent their anger and frustration. What they believe is incredibly bad governance failure to deliver so on their basic human needs, not to mention their human rights so i think that it is an important moment to take stock. Certainly the International Community g has to be fairly careful how they react. And well see how, how they react inside iran. Yeah, when you talk about that carefully for reaction, it is quite delicate for the us administration, but also how israel reacts to this is this potentially quite destabilizing as youve already pointed out at quite a pivotal time in the region i think it is. And was israel took that . It hasnt admitted it. But the initial action to blow up the iranian consulate, embassy in damascus, syria in april, which then led to the rather potentially very dangerous, socalled for tat between iran sending some 300 missiles i wasnt drones into israel followed by an israeli strike around an area which houses one of the iran Nuclear Plants that could have escalated far beyond. But i remember at that point, in fact, it might have been abdullah jan or it was it was it was several officials who said that this is now done and they sort of put a full stop on that escalation and that which in the open conflict there, we dont know whether israel might want to use this time for any other situation, thinking that it can maybe effect some change inside iran is very unclear. Certainly the us National Security adviser secretary of state, was there last week and this week maybe, but us National Security adviser the was there and hes going to excited radio, is there over the weekend im not sure but there will for sure have been some kind of discussions as everyone when he was waiting overnight to see what the results of this Rescue Mission was. Now its a Recovery Mission in east either by john province into i think the whole region saudi arabia particularly is trying to get a bilateral defense deal with the United States. And one of their main issues is iran of course, the United States wants to make that a trilateral with israel to ensure that the palestinian situation is properly reflected and that there is progress and meaningful progress. Finally, On Palestinian Rights and eventually their own statehood. So it really does come theyre at a very complicated time. On the other hand, it is a country which is led by above the president and Foreign Minister as i said the revolutionary guard corps has a huge hand in running almost all aspects of the country. Most certainly the military. And Foreign Affairs and handinhand with the Supreme Leader christiane. We will leave it there for now. We really appreciate you helping us a parse. What is very shocking news, the sour Christiane Amanpour for us. Thanks so much now, ill leave i as is the International Crisis groups rons Project Director and he joins me now from doha. Thanks for being with us and were just going to pick off or pick up where christiane left off there for us. Im wondering what you believe will be the regional reaction here. And beyond to what has been just stunning news in the last few hours okay. Thank. Amid all the volatility in turmoil that weve seen the region. This is one additional point of uncertainty that the region just didnt want to see. But the reality is that iranian president s have very little say on Foreign Policy, even Foreign Minister but its not more than a spokesperson for the ministry. And in that sense, it is really the Supreme Leader and the revolutionary guards who make the final decisions. And even in the region, mostly implement irans Regional Policy i think overall we will see more continuity than change when you say more continuity than change though, given the fact that as i said, they want this these elections held, these they have to be held and 50 days is there not a risk there though, of some type of destabilization especially given the health of the Supreme Leader look in this region, there is always that kind of risk. But the reality is that in the next 50 days, i think the iranians will be more internally focused because they would have to organized a highstakes election in a very short period of time. Usually the Vetting Process in iran is quite complicated although conservatives are in control of all levers of power, but they are engaged in very serious infighting and the rupture between the states and the society is quite serious. So the system would be most likely concerned about internal undressed during the next few weeks. And in that sense, i think its not going to focus on region as was the case in the past. Lets remember that just two weeks ago, iran had a oneoff parliamentary election in which only 8 of the capitals reddit residents actually participated at the polls. And that just shows how unpopular the region jim is at this moment in time, right and teetering towards being illegitimate given the kind of process thats in front of people. And only 8 , as you said, showed up for that election given that there is a risk, right . Of what could happen after 50 days in this election, you mentioned that in fact, they would be internally focused. Now, where do you think . Leaves iranian militias proxies and how they will handle the next uncertainty in the coming weeks. And the couple of months look, weve seen a period of relative calm in iraq and syria in terms of impacts on us forces in the past last few months, i think that is likely to continue we saw the very d