A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashed on Sunday afternoon in northwestern Iran. The current status of Raisi and the other passengers is still unknown.
The crash took place during Raisi’s visit to neighboring Azerbaijan. Rescue teams are attempting to reach the crash site, but poor weather conditions, including heavy rain and wind, have hampered their efforts, state TV reported.
Iran’s Interior Minister, Ahmed Vahidi, confirmed the accident involving a helicopter in Raisi’s convoy but did not specify whether Raisi was on board. Local media have suggested that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was traveling in the same helicopter as Raisi.
The incident occurred near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of Tehran. Raisi was in Azerbaijan earlier on Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. The dam is the third built by the two nations on the Aras River.
Iran faces challenges maintaining its fleet of helicopters due to international sanctions making it difficult to obtain parts. Much of Iran’s military air fleet dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Raisi, 63, a hard-liner and former head of the judiciary, is seen as a protégé of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and is considered a potential successor. Raisi won the 2021 presidential election, which saw the lowest voter turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic. He is sanctioned by the US for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988.
Since taking office, Raisi has enforced stricter morality laws, cracked down on anti-government protests, and pursued aggressive nuclear policies. Under his leadership, Iran enriches uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels, restricts international inspections, and continues to arm proxy groups in the Middle East.
Iran’s state TV and news agencies have urged the public to pray for Raisi, while authorities await further details on the incident.
