A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has been involved in an accident, state media reports
Reports say the helicopter – one of three travelling in a convoy – made a “hard landing” after it got into difficulties in heavy fog in the north of the country
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said rescuers were still trying to reach the site due to the difficult weather conditions
Raisi was heading to the city of Tabriz, in the north west of Iran, after returning from an Iran-Azerbaijan border area, according to local media
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev says he was “profoundly troubled” after hearing reports about a helicopter crash involving Ebrahim Raisi.
Aliyev was with the Iranian president earlier today to open two dams around the Iran-Azerbaijan border.
“Today, after bidding a friendly farewell to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, we were profoundly troubled by the news of a helicopter carrying the top delegation crash-landing in Iran,” he writes on X.
“Our prayers to Allah Almighty are with President Ebrahim Raisi and the accompanying delegation”.
He adds that Azerbaijan is ready to offer any assistance needed.
