Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, Helicopter Crashes
A helicopter carrying Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi and other officials crashed in the Dizmar Protected Area in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
The president and the other officials were returning from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan where Raisi and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev inaugurated a cooperative dam project.
Raisi, Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azerbaijan Province Governor, Malek Rahmati and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem were on board the helicopter.
The helicopter suffered a “hard landing,” which is when an aircraft lands harder and faster than it should, because of the weather, pilot errors or mechanical issues.
The crash site is in a remote area with bad weather, heavy rain and fog, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the site.
More than 40 rescue teams were sent to the crash site, including drones and search dogs.
The European Union activated its rapid response mapping service, Copernicus, to help with the search.
Several countries, including Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iraq, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, have offered to assist rescue efforts.
The condition of President Raisi and the other officials remains unclear.
Contact has been established with two people involved in the crash, but it is not clear who they are.
The president’s location has not been found despite reports that the location of the crash site has been identified.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged Iranians to “not worry,” saying “there will be no disruption in the country’s work.”
Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, said he was “profoundly troubled” after hearing news of the helicopter crash and offered assistance.
The U.S. President, Joe Biden, has been briefed on the incident, according to a White House spokesperson.
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