Iranian officials and official media reported that search operations were continuing for a helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi when it was involved in an “accident” this Sunday evening in the northwest of the country.
Iranian state television said that “an accident occurred with the helicopter carrying the president” in the “Julfa” region in East Azerbaijan Province (in Iran) while he was returning from a visit to neighboring Azerbaijan.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi told state television that the helicopter “made a difficult landing due to bad weather conditions,” explaining that “it is difficult to establish contact” with the plane.
The minister confirmed that search operations had begun to find the helicopter under “unfavorable weather conditions,” including heavy fog.
State television broadcast images of a number of Iranian Red Crescent members walking in dense fog.
The president’s helicopter was part of a convoy of three helicopters carrying him and other officials.
The official Iranian News Agency (IRNA) reported that Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were among the passengers of the helicopter.
IRNA added, “More than 20 rescue teams were dispatched, equipped with full equipment, including drones and rescue dogs.”
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