A helicopter carrying Iran’s president has been involved in a “hard landing” during bad weather, Iranian state media has said.
President Ebrahim Raisi was travelling across the far northwest of Iranfollowing a visit to Azerbaijan.
Rescue teams are trying to reach the scene but are being hampered by fog and heavy rain in a mountainous area.
State media initially said it happened near Jolfa, about 375 miles (600km) northwest of Tehran, but then put it further east near the village of Uzi.
The president was said to be travelling with foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan province and other officials.
Image: State media says this is the last-known picture of the helicopter carrying the president. Pic: IRNA
However, Iranian interior minister Ahmed Vahidi didn’t confirm whether Mr Raisi was on board the helicopter involved, saying he was travelling in a convoy of three aircraft.
“We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning,” an Iranian official told Reuters news agency.
State media showed images of people praying for the president in the holy city of Mashhad.
Mr Raisi had been in Azerbaijan for the inauguration of a dam with the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev.
“The esteemed president and company were on their way back aboard some helicopters and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog,” the interior minister said on state TV.
“Various rescue teams are on their way to the region but because of the poor weather and fogginess it might take time for them to reach the helicopter.”
Image: Iran state media showed images of rescue teams. Pic: IRNA
Image: The helicopter came down in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Pic: IRNA
Mr Raisi added: “The region is a bit [rugged] and it’s difficult to make contact. We are waiting for rescue teams to reach the landing site and give us more information.”
Many of Iran’s military aircraft date back to before the 1979 revolution and international sanctions can make it hard to obtain parts.
Mr Raisi, 63, is a hardliner and former head of the judiciary who some have suggested could one day replace Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He was elected in 2021 at the second time of trying.
Image: President Raisi (left) had been in Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam alongside the country’s leader. Pic: IRNA
Image: Pic: IRNA
Mr Raisi’s time in charge has included major protests over Mahsa Amini – the woman who died after she was arrested for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.
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