A helicopter in the convoy of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in an accident, as reported by state media. It remains unconfirmed whether President Raisi was on board the helicopter at the time of the incident.
“Some unconfirmed reports say that the helicopter carrying President Raisi has had an accident in East Azerbaijan province,” state television announced, noting that rescue efforts were being mobilized.
The harsh weather conditions and heavy fog in the region have posed significant challenges for the rescue teams attempting to reach the accident site, state TV added in an on-screen news alert.
According to the Iranian official news agency IRNA, the helicopter had been transporting President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and several local officials. The semi-official Fars news agency has called on Iranians to pray for the safety of President Raisi following the initial reports.
Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi told state television that authorities are currently awaiting further details about the incident.
Meanwhile, Iran’s ISNA network reported that rescue teams have reached the crash site, sharing a video of rescue personnel in action on their X (formerly Twitter) page.
President Raisi was in East Azerbaijan province on Sunday for the inauguration of a dam project, accompanied by his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, near the border between the two countries.
Ebrahim Raisi, 63, has served as the president of the Islamic Republic since June 2021.
