Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and several other officials were involved in a helicopter crash on Sunday, with emergency services struggling to locate the wreckage due to foggy weather. The crash occurred near the border of Azerbaijan, about 375 miles from Tehran, with search and rescue efforts ongoing as contact was lost with some teams due to bad weather. Iran’s armed forces have been deployed to the area, and senior officials have traveled to the nearest major city, Tabriz.
There is currently no information available on Raisi’s condition or the cause of the crash, but there have been reports that some individuals on board the helicopter were able to communicate with authorities. The missing helicopter was one of three in a convoy, with the other two arriving safely at their destination. Among those onboard the missing craft were Raisi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and Governor of East Azerbaijan Malik Rahmati. This is a developing story and updates will be provided as they become available.
Iran’s military air fleet is reported to largely date back to the 1970s, with international sanctions making it challenging to obtain maintenance parts. Raisi, who was elected president in 2021 after a career in the judiciary, has faced criticism for his role in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s. He has been nicknamed the “Butcher of Tehran” and was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2019 for his involvement in human rights violations and oppression of citizens in Iran.
As the search and rescue operation continues, Iranian officials and emergency services are working to locate the missing helicopter and ensure the safety of those on board. With no confirmed information on the condition of Raisi and the other officials, concerns remain high for their well-being and the cause of the crash. The ongoing foggy weather and challenging terrain in the area add to the difficulties faced by search and rescue teams as they work to locate the crash site in the forest near the Azerbaijan border.
