After the accident in a helicopter with Iranian President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian on board, rescue teams are searching for the scene of the accident. According to state media, the fate of the crew is completely unclear.
Rescue workers in Iran tried to reach a helicopter that had an accident while traveling with President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, according to a report on state television. The helicopter made a “hard landing,” the report said. According to the information, Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian was also on board.
Great concern among government supporters
According to reports in Iranian media, there was no contact with the president’s team, which fueled great concerns among government supporters. The rescuers used sniffer dogs and drones to search for the site of the crash in a remote forest region. Due to the inaccessibility of the area and the unfavorable weather conditions, especially heavy fog, the search and rescue operation will take some time.
State television also reported that the incident occurred near Jolfa, a town on the border with Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometers northwest of the Iranian capital Tehran.
Population called to prayers
The Fars news agency called on the population to pray for the president.
Raisi was returning with Amirabdollahian from a meeting with the President of neighboring Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Together they inaugurated a dam. It was intended to be a sign of cooperation after the relationship between the neighboring countries was recently tense.
The 63-year-old Raisi has been President of the Islamic Republic of Iran since summer 2021.