A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister crashed on Sunday as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog on the way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan, an Iranian official told Reuters.
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,” the official added, according to Reuters.
The bad weather was complicating rescue efforts, the state news agency IRNA reported. State TV stopped all its regular programming to show prayers being held for Raisi across the country and, in a corner of the screen, live coverage of rescue teams searching the mountainous area on foot in heavy fog.
Raisi was elected president at the second attempt in 2021, and since taking office has ordered a tightening of Islamic laws, overseen a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests and pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers.
