State television reported that a helicopter transporting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi experienced a "hard landing," as officials announced extensive search efforts amid challenging weather conditions. According to Iranian state media, the incident took place on Sunday near Jolfa in East Azerbaijan province, located in the northern region of the country.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed concern during a meeting with families of Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel, urging the nation to pray for President Raisi and the others aboard the helicopter. "We hope that God returns the honorable president and his companions to the embrace of the nation," he stated, reassuring Iranians that there would be no disruption in governance and advising against worry.
President Raisi, returning from a visit to Azerbaijan, where he attended a dam inauguration alongside President Ilham Aliyev, encountered the incident. State-linked media reported that of the three helicopters in the president's convoy, two returned safely.
Among those aboard with Raisi were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the province's representative of the Iranian supreme leader, as per state media reports.
Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Housing and Transportation Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash were among those aboard the other helicopters that returned safely.
Inside the president's helicopter, individuals managed to place an emergency call, as reported by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. This communication raised hopes that the incident could be resolved "without fatalities," Tasnim stated.