The helicopter of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a rough landing and crashed according to reports from the country’s media.
According to the media reports, the rescue teams are on their way to the site of the landing. The official said the lives of Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were “at risk following the helicopter crash”, which happened on the way back from a visit to Iran’s border with Azerbaijan.
Speaking under anonymity, the official said, “We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning.” The state news agency IRNA said that rescue efforts were being complicated by the poor weather. The Iranian army’s chief of staff gave the order to employ all available army and Revolutionary Guard resources for the search and rescue efforts.
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All of State TV’s usual programming was halted to feature live news of rescue personnel operating on foot in the hilly location under thick fog, as well as national prayers for Raisi. According to state TV, the rescue crews were anticipated to arrive at the collision scene later on Sunday night.
After winning the presidency in 2021, Raisi, 63, has tightened moral rules, brutally suppressed anti-government demonstrations, and pressed hard for nuclear discussions with international powers. Under Iran’s two-party system, which is divided between the government and the clerical establishment, the supreme leader, not the president, has the last word on all significant matters. However, a lot of people believe that Raisi has a good chance of succeeding his 85-year-old mentor, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has firmly supported Raisi’s core principles.
Hardliners took control of all arms of government after pragmatist Hassan Rouhani, who negotiated a nuclear deal with Washington, won an election keenly watched in 2021 and emerged victorious. However, the massive demonstrations against clerical authority and Raisi’s inability to revive Iran’s economy due to Western sanctions may have damaged her reputation.
Raisi had been at the border with Azerbaijan to officially open the joint Qiz-Qalaisi Dam. Only one of the three helicopters involved in the incident came down, Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi said on state TV, and police were still awaiting more information.