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Searches underway after Iranian chopper carrying Raisi makes 'hard landing
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is feared to have crashed on Sunday. Earlier Iranian state television reported the chopper made a "hard landing," without immediately elaborating but as information came in, concerns for the wellbeing of the president, the foreign minister and other officials on board, grew. 'We are still hopeful," an official told Reuters, "but the information coming from the crash site is very concerning."
The Fars news agency called on Iranians to pray for the president and Iranian state TV broadcast prayers for Raisi's wellbeing.
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Iranians pray for President Raisi after chopper makes "hard landing"
Iran's news agency IRNA said that the head of the Iranian Red Crescent arrived in Tabriz, the capital of the East Azerbaijan Province to participate in the search.
Raisi was traveling in Iran's East Azerbaijan province. State TV described the area of the incident happening as being near Jolfa, a city on the border with the nation of Azerbaijan, some 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Raisi had been in Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. The dam is the third one that the two nations built on the Aras River.
Iran's Tasnim news agency said earlier that after communications with the chopper carrying the president and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, one of the passengers on board was able to make contact "and therefore it seems there were no casualties."
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Latest images of Iran's Ebrahim Raisi on his chopper
Traveling with Raisi and his foreign minister were the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province and other officials, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. One local government official used the word "crash" to describe the incident, but he acknowledged to an Iranian newspaper that he had yet to reach the site himself. Neither IRNA nor state TV offered any information on Raisi's condition.
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Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi (center) in one of the last pictures taken before his chopper lost communications in a 'hard landing'
(Photo: Getty Images)
Rescuers were attempting to reach the site, state TV said, but had been hampered by poor weather conditions. There had been heavy rain and fog reported with some wind. IRNA called the area a "forest."
Iran flies a variety of helicopters in the country, but international sanctions make it difficult to obtain parts for them. Its military air fleet also largely dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev visit the Qiz-Qalasi dam on the Azerbaijan-Iran border
(Photo: WANA)
Raisi, 63, is a hard-liner who formerly led the country's judiciary. Some analysts have suggested he could replace 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei after his death or resignation from the role.
First published: 15:53, 05.19.24