Helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi crashes in mountains: official

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, crashed due to heavy fog on Sunday near Jolfa, a city bordering Azerbaijan, an Iranian official informed Reuters.

The official stated that the lives of Raisi and Amirabdollahian were "at risk following the helicopter crash," which occurred as they were returning from a visit to Iran's border with Azerbaijan.

"We remain hopeful, but the information coming from the crash site is very concerning," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.


The state news agency IRNA reported that bad weather is complicating rescue efforts. In response, the chief of staff of Iran's army has ordered all available resources from the army and the elite Revolutionary Guard to be deployed in the search and rescue operations.

Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, announced on Twitter that in response to an Iranian request for assistance, the EU is activating its Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) rapid response mapping service.

Raisi, 63, is a hard-liner who formerly led the country's judiciary. He is viewed as a protege of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some analysts have suggested he could replace the 85-year-old leader after his death or resignation from the role.

Raisi had been in Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. The dam is the third one that the two nations built on the Aras River.

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.

(inputs from agencies)