A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian crashed Sunday in Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province, state news agency IRNA reported. The fate of those on board, including other high-ranking officials, remains uncertain.
The aircraft was returning from a ceremony marking the opening of a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan when it “crashed upon landing in the Varzaqan region,” IRNA English reported.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by dense fog, which reduced visibility to just five meters in the mountainous and forested area. Twenty rescue teams and drones have been dispatched, but the search and rescue operation is expected to be prolonged due to the difficult terrain and weather conditions.
Locals reported hearing noises from the Dizmar Forest area between the villages of Ozi and Pir Davood, where the helicopter is believed to have crashed.
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi stated that one of the helicopters in a convoy was forced to make a hard landing due to the fog, but the exact status of Raisi’s helicopter and its occupants remains unclear.
The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza and recent military exchanges between Iran and Israel.
There is also growing discussion among Iranian officials about the potential weaponization of the country’s nuclear program, and the issue of Supreme Leader Khamenei’s succession looms large in Iran’s political landscape.
Should President Raisi’s death be confirmed, the Iranian constitution mandates new presidential elections within 50 days. Until then, with the Supreme Leader’s approval, First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber, a former head of major government conglomerates, would assume presidential powers.
