Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi is dead following a helicopter crash, Iranian state media announced Monday morning local time. The Iranian minister of foreign affairs and the others onboard were also killed in the crash.
Early Monday morning, Hossein Kolivand, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent, reported “no sign of life” at the crash site of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. The helicopter made a “hard landing” in foggy conditions on Sunday, and the search operation has been underway since.
The helicopter, which also carried Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other officials, was located by the Red Crescent. “The president’s helicopter has been found,” Kolivand told state television. He stated that the rescue team was approximately 2 kilometers away from the crash site and had no detailed information yet. “Things are not good here,” he added, indicating the severity of the situation but confirming that they had not yet reached the helicopter.
Search and rescue efforts commenced shortly after the incident, with 73 teams, including 23 Red Crescent teams with detector dogs, deployed to the area. Advanced and specialized equipment was also sent from Tehran and neighboring provinces. Despite difficult weather conditions with fog and rain, the teams continued their operations.
IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, reported early Monday that two hot spots were identified in the village of Tawal by a Turkish drone aiding in the rescue efforts. The mountainous area of Kalibar and Warzghan in central Iran, where the incident occurred, has posed significant challenges to the search due to poor visibility and adverse weather.
Reports about the helicopter’s trouble first surfaced on state-affiliated media around 3:45 p.m. local time on Sunday. President Raisi was on a mission to open the Khoda Afarin and Qiz Qalasi dams near Azerbaijan and was returning from this journey when the helicopter had to make a rough landing due to the inclement weather.
International assistance has been offered in the search efforts. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent 50 rescuers, two planes, and a helicopter, while Turkey provided an Akinci UAV and a Cougar-type helicopter equipped with night vision capabilities. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had met with Raisi earlier at the dam dedication, expressed his readiness to help locate the helicopter. He conveyed his prayers for Raisi and his delegation, emphasizing the close ties between Azerbaijan and Iran.
The incident has drawn significant international attention, with U.S. President Joe Biden being briefed on the situation and the State Department closely monitoring developments. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi confirmed on state TV that the helicopter had made a “rough landing.” A government spokesperson later described the incident as an “accident,” urging the public for patience and trust in the relief efforts amid the challenging conditions.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on the nation to pray for the safe return of President Raisi and his companions. “We hope that Almighty God will return the respected and honorable president and his companions to the arms of the nation,” he said.
As the search continues under difficult conditions, the nation awaits further updates on the fate of President Raisi and the officials accompanying him.