A significant rescue operation is underway near the Iranian-Azerbaijani border following a crash involving a helicopter escorting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Iranian state media reported the accident occurred during inclement weather on Sunday.
Sources close to the situation informed Reuters about possible mortal danger faced by Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, stating, “information coming from the crash site is very concerning.”
Drones, ambulances, and other search and rescue operations are well underway.
As per Iranian state TV, the incident transpired near Jolfa, a border city some 375 miles northwest of Tehran. The coverage included footage of a Red Crescent rescue team making their way, in dense fog, towards the hiking site.
Reports identified that along with Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan and several other officials were also present. The Iranian interior minister confirmed the hard landing and pointed to adverse weather conditions as the primary cause.
Raisi was returning from a visit to Azerbaijan where he attended the inauguration of a dam along with President Ilham Aliyev. This took place despite lingering diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Given Raisi’s instrumental role in Iran’s administration and his strategic import to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the incident may have considerable implications for Iran’s geopolitical dynamics.
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