Monday Briefing: Iranian president missing after crash

May 20, 2024

	By Amelia Nierenberg

Good morning. We’re covering a helicopter crash involving Iran’s president and Russia’s push toward Kharkiv.

Plus, the rise of “neopopulism” in the U.S.

President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran wearing a black robe with a white collar standing next to an Iranian flag.

President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran last year. Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times

A helicopter carrying Iran’s president crashed

A helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran crashed in a remote part of the country yesterday, according to state media. The helicopter — which was also carrying the foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian — has not yet been found.

Here’s the latest.

It was not immediately known what caused the crash. State news reported that an enormous operation involving at least 20 search-and-rescue teams was underway, but that inclement weather was hampering the effort.

A delegation of ministers traveled with him in a convoy of three helicopters, state media reported, adding that the other two had reached their destinations.

Context: The crash came at a delicate moment for international relations — just days after senior U.S. and Iranian officials held talks through intermediaries to try to tamp down the threat of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Raisi: He is the second most powerful individual in Iran’s political structure after the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Many analysts believed he was being groomed to become the next supreme leader.

Next steps: Iran’s law stipulates that if the president dies, power is transferred to the first vice president and that an election must be called within six months. The first vice president is Mohammad Mokhber, a conservative politician.

A man crouches inside the roof of a house that he is repairing with thick gray smoke in the background.

Smoke rose from a strike on industrial buildings in Kharkiv on Friday. Russia is already targeting the city with missiles and glide bombs. Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times

Russia moves closer to Kharkiv

Russian forces have moved closer to the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, which could soon be within artillery range, potentially allowing Moscow to strike residential neighborhoods and target power stations there.

Experts say that Russia could also be trying to create a buffer zone to prevent the Ukrainians from targeting Russian towns and cities with artillery. President Vladimir Putin of Russia said that that was the goal of the offensive, and that Russian forces had no plans to take the city itself. Military experts also say that Russia lacks the forces to conduct such an operation.

But as Russia ramps up its push into the Kharkiv region, Ukraine has few reserves to deploy as its overstretched military defends a more than 600-mile front line. On Saturday, a mobilization law came into force that includes incentives for volunteers and new penalties for those trying to evade conscription. And now Ukraine will also allow some convicts to serve.

Morale boost: Ukrainians have rallied around the boxer Oleksandr Usyk, who became the world’s undisputed heavyweight champion yesterday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, with Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz at a table in front of Israeli flags. Mr. Gallant is speaking.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, left, with Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz at a 2023 news conference. Pool photo by Abir Sultan

Top Israeli officials challenge Netanyahu

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, and Benny Gantz, a centrist former military chief, have demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu come up with a decisive strategy for Gaza. Gantz set up an ultimatum on Saturday and said his party would leave the government by June 8 without a plan from Netanyahu.

Now, Netanyahu’s emergency war cabinet is on the brink of disintegrating over what opponents view as his dithering prosecution of Israel’s offensive. But analysts said that their dissent was unlikely to bring about major change — even without Gantz’s party, Netanyahu’s coalition would still hold a majority.

Hostages: In Gaza, Israeli troops recovered the bodies of three captives whom Hamas captured during the Oct. 7 attacks.

Gaza: A wartime marketplace for survival supplies — including aid parcels — has emerged.

MORE TOP NEWS

A dark blue truck marked as a police vehicle blocking off part of a street.

Security forces blocked streets yesterday in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Samy Ntumba Shambuyi/Associated Press

Congo: The army said it foiled a coup, and the U.S. ambassador said she was “very concerned” that Americans may have participated in the effort.
Georgia: The president vetoed a divisive foreign-influence bill, but Parliament is likely to override the veto.
Niger: All U.S. troops will leave the West African country by Sept. 15, the two governments said yesterday.
Slovakia: Prime Minister Robert Fico’s condition is improving. The suspect in his attempted assassination was called a “weird and angry” loner who wrote erotic poetry.
China: Xi Jinping warmly welcomed President Vladimir Putin of Russia to Beijing, a show of solidarity in defiance of the West.
Space: The U.S. is growing its capacity to wage war in space, a response to advances by China and Russia.
U.S.: Increased threats of violence are changing how politicians do their jobs.
New Caledonia: Protests against French control boiled over, raising fears of another civil war.
Nepal: Rescuers retrieved the bodies of a U.S. climber and her guide from Mount Shishapangma, more than seven months after they died in an avalanche.
Mexico City: Unchecked urban sprawl and poor infrastructure have strained the water supply. This summer, one critical system may stop working.
France: The country has issued scratch-and-sniff baguette postage stamps ahead of the Olympics.

MORNING READ

A huge crowd of people watching a movie screening outside at night. Children sit on the ground in the front, and adults sit in chairs and stand behind them.

A screening of “Io Capitano” in a suburb of Dakar last month. Annika Hammerschlag for The New York Times

Western critics have praised “Io Capitano” — nominated for the 2024 Academy Award for best international feature film — for its visceral look at African migration to Europe. In Senegal, where many have lost family members to the difficult journey, the film is hitting close to home.

“What’s there for us here?” an 18-year-old said. “We all have migration in mind.”

CONVERSATION STARTERS

The Australia Letter: Conservation efforts are bringing back the flightless, long-endangered kiwi.
Smellmaxxing: Some teen boys are getting into high-end cologne.
Pakistan: In a place where the national security services are ever-present, a conspiracy theory took hold that some gold-painted street performers in Islamabad were spies.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

ARTS AND IDEAS

An illustration of the U.S. Capitol dome lit by red, blue and purple lights on a black background

Illustration by Anson Chan

The rise of neopopulism

The U.S. feels deeply polarized. But in a country that is supposed to have a gridlocked federal government, the past four years have been arguably the most productive period of Washington bipartisanship in decades, my colleague David Leonhardt writes.

The collaborations — on things like Covid policy, semiconductor chips and TikTok — represent a new form of centrism which David calls “neopopulism,” that is based on mistrust of the neoliberal free-market ethos. Officials are increasing tariffs and supporting government efforts to address the market’s shortcomings.

RECOMMENDATIONS

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Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Cook: Tandoori chicken is moist and tender.

Listen: Billie Eilish twists love songs on “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” her new album.

Read: Two Korean Americans explore art and sadomasochism in R.O. Kwon’s novel, “Exhibit.”

Discuss: Communication is key to intimacy. But what if your significant other won’t open up?

Clean: Wipe down your fan or air conditioner.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Amelia

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