Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, International Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and different officers had been confirmed useless on Monday after their helicopter crashed in a mountainous area of the nation’s northwest, Iranian state media reported.
State TV mentioned earlier on Monday that there was “no signal of life” on the crash web site of the helicopter that was carrying 63-year-old Raisi, 60-year-old Abdollahian and different officers after it made a “exhausting touchdown” on Sunday.
The crash web site was throughout a steep valley, in accordance with state media, which gave no quick trigger for the crash.
Because the solar rose on Monday, rescuers noticed the helicopter from a distance of roughly 1.25 miles, head of the Iranian Crimson Crescent Society Pir Hossein Kolivand informed state media. The officers had been lacking for greater than 12 hours when the helicopter was noticed.
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Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian had been touring in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province when the helicopter made what state TV described as a “exhausting touchdown” close to Jolfa, a metropolis on the border with the nation of Azerbaijan, roughly 375 miles northwest of Tehran. State TV later mentioned it crashed additional east close to the village of Uzi, though particulars remained contradictory.
The governor of the East Azerbaijan province and different officers and bodyguards had been additionally aboard, in accordance with the state-run IRNA information company. One native authorities official described what occurred as a “crash,” whereas others referred to it as a “exhausting touchdown” or an “incident.”
“The esteemed president and firm had been on their method again aboard some helicopters and one of many helicopters was compelled to make a tough touchdown as a result of dangerous climate and fog,” Inside Minister Ahmad Vahidi mentioned in feedback aired on state TV.
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The incident comes as Iran, beneath Raisi and Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile assault in opposition to Israel final month.
Iran has additionally confronted years of mass protests in opposition to its Shiite theocracy in response to a struggling financial system and assaults on girls’s rights.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
