Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is feared dead after the helicopter crash near the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday “endangered his life,” officials confirmed.
State media claimed that allied Russia is sending a 50-strong specialized mountain rescue unit to support the search. The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry confirmed this in a Telegram message.
Rescuers struggled to locate the Iranian president last night after the helicopter he was traveling in crashed in bad weather.
An Iranian official said the lives of President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, among others, were “in danger.”
The men were aboard one of three helicopters traveling in convoy over remote mountainous terrain shrouded in heavy fog when the plane crashed.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is feared dead after Sunday’s helicopter crash near the border with Azerbaijan “endangered” his life, officials confirmed
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (left) was photographed moments before the helicopter crash near the border with Azerbaijan that put his ‘life in danger’
He was seen staring eerily out the window of the plane, which was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province near Jolfa, about 600 kilometers northwest of Tehran, when it crashed.
Rain and a lack of roads hampered rescue efforts, the official said.
The mysterious crash immediately raised tensions around the world. Iran is a major sponsor of Hamas, which has been under constant attack in Gaza since the terrorists launched the October 7 attacks on Israel.
Tehran is also an arms supplier to Russia in its war against Ukraine – and some Moscow propagandists linked the president’s disappearance last week to the attempted assassination of pro-Kremlin Slovak leader Robert Fico.
Some of the president’s entourage on board were reportedly able to communicate with rescue teams after the crash, “raising hopes that the incident could have ended without casualties,” according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
Last night, the head of the Red Crescent’s relief and rescue operation said the “possible location of the crashed helicopter” had been found.
Initial reports said Raisi’s plane was forced to make a “hard landing” in a forested area north of the city of Varzeghan in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
But last night, regime loyalists gathered to pray for his well-being as prospects for a rescue seemed to vanish.
Rescuers struggled to locate the Iranian president last night after the helicopter he was traveling in crashed in bad weather
Rescue crews raced through a misty, rural forest where his helicopter was believed to be
Neither the Islamic Republic News Agency nor state television could provide any information on Raisi’s condition or whereabouts, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei urging people “not to worry.”
An Iranian official said: “We are still hopeful, but the information coming from the crash site is very worrying.” A message was posted on Raisi’s Instagram page asking followers to pray for his safety.
While most commentators said heavy fog could be the cause, Russian sources put forward unsubstantiated conspiracy theories blaming the West.
Vladimir Putin propagandist Margarita Simonyan – editor-in-chief of state broadcaster RT – released an extraordinary rant linking the incident to the recent shooting of Fico in Slovakia. Iran is a close Russian ally that has supplied vast quantities of kamikaze drones and missiles to Putin, and there may be concerns that a new president could change the terms of this partnership.
Raisi and his delegation had been in Azerbaijan to celebrate the opening of a new dam.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev wrote online: ‘We were deeply disturbed by the news that a helicopter carrying the top delegation made an emergency landing in Iran. Our prayers to Allah Almighty are with President Ebrahim Raisi and the accompanying delegation.
“As a neighbor, friend and brotherly country, the Republic of Azerbaijan stands ready to provide any assistance necessary.”
Conspiracy theorists claimed that Israel could be involved, noting that Azerbaijan is one of Israel’s few Muslim allies. Both Azerbaijan and Iraq offered to assist in the search. The incident comes a month after Iran launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel.
Rescue vehicles taking part in the search for the crashed helicopter carrying President Raisi
According to Iranian state television, contact was made with a passenger and a crew member on board the helicopter
All the resources of the army and the Iranian Guard were deployed in the search for the helicopter
Raisi is seen as a hardline cleric who has overseen a tightening of morality laws — and a crackdown on resulting protests — since taking office in 2021.
Mahsa Amini, 22, was arrested by vice squad in 2022 for wearing an “inappropriate” hijab and died in hospital three days later, sparking mass unrest.
Since then, hundreds more have been killed and thousands more imprisoned by security forces. Raisi is considered one of two frontrunners to succeed 85-year-old Ayatollah Khamenei, along with Khamenei’s son Mojtaba.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said he is praying for the safety of President Ebrahim Raisi.
Iran flies a variety of helicopters in the country, but international sanctions make it difficult to obtain parts for them.
The military air fleet also largely predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident, according to the White House, and the US is “closely monitoring” the reports.
Iraq has offered to assist Iran in the search and rescue mission.
State media claimed that allied Russia is sending a 50-strong specialized mountain rescue unit to support the search. The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry confirmed this in a Telegram message
Tehran is an arms supplier to Russia in its war against Ukraine – and some Moscow propagandists linked the president’s disappearance last week to the attempted assassination of pro-Kremlin Slovak leader Robert Fico
Hamas issued a statement after the helicopter crash expressing “great concern” about the incident.
“In this painful incident, we express our full solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran, its leadership, government and people, and we ask Allah Almighty to protect and ensure the safety of the Iranian President and his accompanying delegation, and to prevent all harm away from the brotherly Iranian people,” the militant group said.
Raisi’s death would mark a monumental moment for Iran and the Middle East as there are fears of instability under the Iranian regime.
He won the 2021 Iranian presidential election, a vote that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history.
He is sanctioned by the US in part for his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, at the end of the bloody war between Iran and Iraq.
Under Raisi, Iran now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels and hinders international inspections.
Iran has armed Russia in its war against Ukraine, launching a massive drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid the Gaza conflict.
The country has also continued to arm proxy groups in the Middle East, such as Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanese Hezbollah.