Iranian President Raisi's helicopter crashes amid poor weather

Tehran: A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi experienced a “crash upon landing”  due to poor weather conditions as confirmed by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Sunday.

The incident occurred in the Jofa region of East Azerbaijan province, with state television reporting ongoing rescue efforts. The difficult weather conditions, including heavy fog, have hindered the rescue teams' access to the crash site.

President Raisi was traveling in the mountainous forest area of Dizmar near Varzaghan in East Azerbaijan province. Alongside Raisi, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and other officials were also on board, as reported by the IRNA news agency.

The convoy included three helicopters, with the other two helicopters landing safely at their destinations, according to Tasnim news agency. The reformist Shargh daily also confirmed that while Raisi's helicopter crashed, the other two landed without incident.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi later stated that one helicopter "made a hard landing due to bad weather conditions," adding that communication with the aircraft was challenging.

Earlier that day, Raisi had been in Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. This dam is the third constructed by the two countries on the Aras River.

Iran operates a variety of helicopters, but international sanctions complicate the acquisition of parts for maintenance. Much of its military air fleet dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Ebrahim Raisi, born in 1960 in Mashhad, northeast Iran, quickly rose to high office following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. At just 20 years old, he was appointed prosecutor-general of Karaj, near Tehran. He served as Tehran’s prosecutor-general from 1989 to 1994, deputy chief of the Judicial Authority for a decade from 2004, and national prosecutor-general in 2014.