According to official media, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi went missing after the chopper he was riding in had to make a “hard landing.”
According to the Tasnim news agency, a massive search effort comprising Red Crescent rescue teams, military soldiers, and police backup units is currently underway.
The region is claimed to be cloudy by locals, making it difficult to find the helicopter and ascertain its situation.
Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the foreign minister, and the governor of the province of East Azerbaijan were among the other officials in the chopper.
Iranian military are close to the scene of the disaster.
According to Iranian soldiers, they are currently “close” to the incident’s purported location.
It has been challenging for search crews to get to the spot because of the mountainous terrain and bad weather. Although the helicopter has not yet been found, Iranian border guards reported that their search and rescue teams were presently in the vicinity of a possible “incident” site.
State TV suspends its regular schedule.
Iran’s state television has halted its regular programming in favor of showing video of the rescue operations and gatherings of believers saying prayers at the sacred Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, the hometown of President Raisi.
The President of Azerbaijan speaks up
Prior to today’s tragedy, Iranian President Raisi was with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who expressed his deep distress over the news.
He said that “as a neighbor, friend, and brotherly country, Azerbaijan stands ready to offer any assistance needed” and that he was praying for Mr. Raisi and the other members of the group.
In order to officially open a third dam on their shared border, President Raisi was in Azerbaijan. Relations are not easy, though; last year, both countries dismissed four of the other’s ambassadors, and there were issues since Azerbaijan established an embassy in Israel in March 2023.
Revolutionary Guard in action
To assist in the search for the chopper, Iran has sent troops from the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the area. Drones, medical personnel, and over 40 search and rescue teams have all been sent in.
Biden provided a briefing
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden has been briefed on rumors that the Iranian President was involved in a helicopter crash today. According to the State Department, it was “closely watching” the circumstances.
People’s lives on board are “at risk.”
An Iranian official told Reuters that President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and the other passengers’ lives are “at risk following the helicopter crash.”
“While the information coming from the crash site is very concerning, we remain hopeful,” they stated.
According to state TV, rescuers should arrive at the scene later tonight, although the weather is bad and darkness has already fallen.
The people on board’s fate is yet unknown.
Iranian state TV has reaffirmed that no details on the whereabouts of individuals on board the downed aircraft are now known, and that no deaths or injuries can currently be verified.
Iran at a sensitive moment
Such a crisis occurs during a delicate time in Iranian history. Mass protests over women’s rights and the nation’s failing economy have lasted for years. It is also at the center of escalating hostilities and tensions in the Middle East because it backs proxy organizations like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The search site gets dark.
As night descends on the area, there is still no information regarding the helicopter’s location.
The aerial search was canceled a while back owing to inclement weather, but new rescue organizations and climbers have joined the teams. Right now, all rescue efforts are carried out by ground personnel.
US Department of State “vigorously monitoring reports”
“Closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister,” the US State Department declared.
“We have no further comment at this time,” it continued.
The remaining convoy “arrived safely.”
The President was traveling in a convoy of three, which included a helicopter. The other two, according to Iranian news outlet Tasnim, reached their destination without incident. However, it is thought that the missing chopper carried the President, the Foreign Minister, and local officials.
medical units dispatched
The nation’s health minister said that medical teams have also been sent to the search location.
“We are prepared to treat the injured when [the helicopter] is located. Medical teams have been dispatched.”
East Azerbaijan’s State TV reports that visibility has been severely restricted due to the amount of fog.
Experts from the Airports and Air Navigation Company of Iran are looking into the situation at the Tabriz airport.
Ebrahim Raisi: who is he?
Hard-liner President Raisi,63, oversaw the judiciary of Iran before taking over. He is thought of as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s protégé, and some observers have speculated that he would succeed the 85-year-old leader in the event of his passing or resignation.
Iran’s 2021 presidential election saw the lowest voter turnout in the country’s history, yet Raisi prevailed. The U.S. has sanctioned Raisi in part because he was involved in the 1988 brutal end of the Iran-Iraq war, which resulted in the mass execution of thousands of political detainees.
Iran now obstructs foreign inspections and enriches uranium almost to weapons-grade levels under Raisi. Iran has armed Russia in the conflict with Ukraine and attacked Israel with a large-scale drone and missile assault as part of its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
