Helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi crashes, prompting massive search operation, local media reports

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in an incident while visiting a northern region and his condition is currently unknown, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on X on Sunday.

Rescuers are searching for a helicopter that crashed while carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA. Raisi’s condition and that of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who was also on board, remain unknown. The aircraft came down in Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province, sparking a massive search effort. Emergency crews have so far has been unable to reach the crash site amid fog and extreme cold, IRNA said. Iranian armed forces have been in the area since the early hours of Sunday, Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri said, deploying drones and dozens of rescue teams. Officials say they have been able to make contact with some of the passengers aboard the helicopter, raising hopes for the search-and-rescue mission’s success. Raisi’s official Instagram account and state television have urged Iranians to pray for the president and his entourage.