Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was pictured moments before the helicopter crash near the border with Azerbaijan which put his ‘life at risk’.
He was seen staring out of the window of the aircraft, which was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province near Jolfa, around 375 miles northwest of Tehran when it crashed.
There have been conflicting reports among Iranian state media about whether the helicopter has been found following a frantic search mission.
The president is still missing hours after the crash and there is no confirmation they are close to finding Raisi. It has led to fears that his death could spark a power vacuum in Iran.
The helicopter was one of a convoy of three and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Friday prayer Imam Seyyed Mohammad-Ali Al-Hashem and other high-ranking officials were also reportedly on the helicopter with the president.
Their lives are at risk following the crash over mountain terrain, an Iranian official told Reuters. All army and Iranian guard resources were utilized in the search efforts for the helicopter.
Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi (left) was pictured moments before the helicopter crash near the border with Azerbaijan which put his ‘life at risk’
He was seen staring out of the window of the aircraft, which was traveling in Iran ‘s East Azerbaijan province near Jolfa, around 375 miles northwest of Tehran when it crashed
It came hours after he posed for pictures with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev (left) to celebrate a dam on the Aras river
The helicopter was one of a convoy of three and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Friday prayer Imam Seyyed Mohammad-Ali Al-Hashem and other high-ranking officials were also reportedly on the helicopter with the president
All army and Iranian guard resources were utilized in the search efforts for the helicopter
Rescue crews sped through a misty, rural forest where his helicopter was believed to be
The helicopter crashed as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog on the way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan, an Iranian official said.
The official said the lives of Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were ‘at risk following the helicopter crash’.
‘We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning,’ said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Rescuers were hampered in their efforts to reach the site by poor weather conditions in the area.
There has been contact with a passenger and a crew member on board the helicopter, according to Iranian state TV.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said he is praying for President Ebrahim Raisi’s safety.
It comes after Iranian news agency Tasnim reported: ‘Some of the president’s companions on this helicopter were able to communicate with Central Headquarters, raising hopes that the incident could have ended without casualties.’
‘Seyyed Mohammad-Ali Al-Hashem, Tabriz’s Friday Prayer Imam, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were also reportedly on the helicopter with the president.’
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident, according to the White House and the US is ‘closely watching’ reports.
Iraq has offered to help Iran in the search and rescue mission.
Hamas issued a statement following the helicopter crash expressing ‘great concern’ over the incident.
‘In this painful incident, we express our full solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran, its leadership, government, and people, and we ask Allah Almighty to protect and ensure the safety of the Iranian President and his accompanying delegation, and to keep all harm away from the brotherly Iranian people,’ the militant group said.
Raisi’s death would mark a monumental moment for Iran and the Middle East region as there are fears of instability among the Iranian regime.
He has developed a brutal reputation which earned him the nickname the Butcher of Tehran.
But the Supreme Leader will likely choose a similar hardliner to replace him in case of his death.
There was no immediate elaboration on what happened to the helicopter or what led to the incident.
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.
State TV aired images of SUVs racing through a wooded area.
A rescue helicopter tried to reach the area where authorities believe Raisi’s helicopter was, but it couldn’t land due to the heavy mist, emergency services spokesman Babak Yektaparast said.
‘The esteemed president and company were on their way back aboard some helicopters and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog,’ Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said in comments aired on state TV.
‘Various rescue teams are on their way to the region but because of the poor weather and fogginess it might take time for them to reach the helicopter.’
He added: ‘The region is a bit (rugged) and it’s difficult to make contact. We are waiting for rescue teams to reach the landing site and give us more information.’
Some began urging the public to pray for Raisi and the others on board as rescue crews sped through a misty, rural forest where his helicopter was believed to be
Rescuers were hampered in their efforts to reach the site by poor weather conditions in the area
There was contact with a passenger and a crew member on board the helicopter, according to Iranian state TV
The helicopter crashed as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog on the way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan, an Iranian official said
Raisi had been in Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev
Rescue vehicles taking part in the search for the crashed helicopter carrying President Raisi
Hard-liners urged the public to pray for Raisi. State TV later aired images of the faithful praying at Imam Reza Shrine in the city of Mashhad, one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites.
The likely crash comes as Iran under Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel just last month.
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.
Raisi had been in Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam on the Aras river with Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev.
The dam is the third one that the two nations built on the Aras River.
The visit came despite chilly relations between the two nations, including over a gun attack on Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Tehran in 2023, and Azerbaijan’s diplomatic relations with Israel, which Iran’s Shiite theocracy views as its main enemy in the region.
Raisi, 63, is a hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary.
The dam is the third one that the two nations built on the Aras River
The visit came despite chilly relations between the two nations, including over a gun attack on Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Tehran in 2023 and Azerbaijan’s diplomatic relations with Israel
Raisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election, a vote that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history
He is viewed as a protégé of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and some analysts have suggested he could replace the 85-year-old leader after his death or resignation from the role.
Raisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election, a vote that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history.
He is sanctioned by the U.S. in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war.
Under Raisi, Iran now enriches uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels and hampers international inspections.
Iran has armed Russia in its war on Ukraine and launched a massive drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid its conflict in Gaza.
It also has continued arming proxy groups in the Mideast, like Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
