Helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi crashes

A helicopter transporting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been involved in an incident during his visit to neighbouring Azerbaijan.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the crash happened near Jolfa, a city bordering Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometres northwest of Tehran, on Sunday, May 19, 2024.

President Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan, and other officials, were aboard the helicopter.

“Some of the president’s companions on this helicopter were able to communicate with Central Headquarters, raising hopes that the incident might have ended without casualties,” stated the state agency.

The helicopter was part of a convoy of three helicopters. The other two helicopters, carrying ministers and officials, reached their destination safely, according to Tasnim.

Rescue teams are on their way, although their efforts are being hampered by poor weather conditions, including heavy rain, fog, and wind. The area is described as forested.

Ali Zakari, Deputy Governor for Development in East Azerbaijan, mentioned that he had not yet arrived at the accident site and lacked detailed information. Iran’s Red Crescent has dispatched rescue teams as efforts to reach the crash site continue.

President Raisi was visiting the province to inaugurate a dam on the Aras River with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. This visit occurs amid recent tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan, intensified by a 2023 gun attack on Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Tehran and Azerbaijan’s diplomatic ties with Israel.