Key Developments
- Iran President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian still missing
- Iranian armed forces ordered to mobilise
- Iranian Revolutionary Guard deployed to join search efforts
- Iranian minister says ‘making contact is difficult’
- The helicopter may have got into ‘bad weather’
- President Raisi met his Azeri counterpart earlier in the day
- Helicopter went missing near Sungun copper mine in East Azerbaijan province
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and several other high-ranking officials including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was involved in a concerning accident near the city of Jolfa, close to the border with Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave.
The aircraft experienced a “rough landing” amid heavy fog conditions, prompting fears for the safety of those on board.
Raisi, aged 63, was accompanied by Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and other officials on their return from a visit to Azerbaijan, where they discussed an infrastructure project over the Aras River with the Azerbaijani president.
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While Iranian state media has yet to report on any casualties or confirm the current whereabouts and condition of the president, an Iranian official acknowledged that their lives were “at risk,” describing the information from the crash site as “very concerning.”
At least 16 rescue teams have been dispatched to locate the helicopter, but their efforts have been hampered by the poor weather conditions prevailing in the area.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi urged the public to pray for the president’s well-being and expressed hope that the rescue teams would soon reach the crash site and provide more information.
According to reports, three helicopters were part of the president’s convoy, with the two others managing to return safely. In addition to Raisi and the foreign minister, the helicopter was carrying the governor of East Azerbaijan, the representative of the Iranian supreme leader to the province, the energy minister, and the housing and transportation minister.
Those who were with the president inside the crashed helicopter managed to make an emergency call, which has raised hopes that the incident can be resolved without fatalities, as reported by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The exact cause of the “hard landing” and the extent of any injuries sustained by the passengers remain unclear as the situation continues to unfold.
Iranian Armed Forces Ordered to Mobilise
Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, has issued an order for all the equipment and capacity of the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and law enforcement forces to be used to find the helicopter.
“The armed forces, the army, the IRGC and police command were all present in the area from the initial hours,” he was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.
Iran most recently had an armed altercation with Israel after its Embassy in Damascus, Syria was attacked by the Jewish state killing several high-ranking IRGC officials. This resulted in a strike and counter-strikes of missiles between the two countries.
Who is Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi?
Raisi, 63, is a hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary. He is viewed as a protege of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some analysts have suggested he could replace the 85-year-old leader after his death or resignation from the role.
He has been in power since 2021 when he won the country’s last presidential election.
He currently is subject to US sanctions over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.
Under Raisi, Iran now enriches Uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels and hampers international inspections. Last month, Raisi threatened his hands were “on the trigger” if Israel were to target any of its nuclear sites amidst rising tensions.
