A helicopter carrying Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, has crashed due to bad weather, Iranian state media reported. President Raisi was traveling across the far northwest of Iran following a visit to Azerbaijan.
Rescue teams and the army are attempting to reach the crash site, but heavy fog in the mountainous area is hindering their efforts. An official told state TV that contact has been made with a passenger and a crew member on the president’s helicopter.
The unnamed official stated, “Contact has been made on several occasions.”
Earlier on Sunday, an Iranian official told Reuters that the lives of the president and the foreign minister are ‘at risk’. The official, speaking anonymously, said, “We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning.”
President Raisi was travelling with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and other officials. The incident occurred in East Azerbaijan province in northwest Iran.
Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi stated that Mr. Raisi was in a convoy of three aircraft, but did not explicitly confirm he was on the helicopter involved. Initially, state media reported the incident near Jolfa, about 375 miles (600 km) from Tehran, but later located it further east near the village of Uzi.
President Raisi had been in Azerbaijan for the inauguration of a dam with the country’s President, Ilham Aliyev.
“The esteemed president and company were on their way back aboard some helicopters, and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog,” Mr. Vahidi said on state TV.
He added, “Various rescue teams are on their way to the region but because of the poor weather and fogginess, it might take time for them to reach the helicopter.”
Mr. Vahidi further stated, “The region is rugged, and it’s difficult to make contact. We are waiting for rescue teams to reach the landing site and give us more information.” A rescue helicopter attempted to reach the site but couldn’t land due to the fog, according to emergency services spokesman Babak Yektaparast.
The army’s chief of staff has ordered all resources to be deployed, and Iraq has also offered to help.
This is a delicate moment for Iran. President Raisi is the second most important figure in Iran, after the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His death, if confirmed, will have far-reaching consequences. In the immediate term, his Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will assume control, and elections will be held within 50 days.
