A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashed on Sunday while flying over mountainous terrain in heavy fog, Reuters reported, citing Iranian state television. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is holding an emergency meeting with the National Security Council.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials were also on board with Raisi, Reuters reported, citing Iranian news agencies.
Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian’s lives were “at risk following the helicopter crash,” which occurred on their return from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan in Iran’s northwest, according to Iranian officials.
Iranian state media said Raisi was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, and the crash happened near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of Tehran. IRNA described the crash site as a “forest.”
However, no official confirmation has been received from the Iranian government.
RESCUE TEAMS DISPATCHED, SEARCH OPERATION ON:
According to Iranian state-run PressTV, ambulances and rescue teams have been dispatched to locate the helicopter carrying President Raisi and three other officials. Pirhossein Kolivand, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, reported that a search and rescue team has approached the suspected crash site.
The Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces announced that the country’s armed forces have also joined the search operation.
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