Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were killed in Sunday’s helicopter crash, state media reported.
The BBC reported on the country’s state television that they confirmed the death of several senior officials, including President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian.
“President Raisi, the foreign minister, all on board the helicopter are dead,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters after the wreckage of the helicopter was found in a remote mountainous area of East Azerbaijan province on Monday morning.
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Raisi and his entourage were returning to the northeastern city of Tabriz after inaugurating a project on the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday. The helicopter crashed in a mountainous area in dense fog.
A major rescue operation then began with more than 40 rescue workers, search dogs and drones. But the rescuers have to speed up to reach the spot in the fog in the remote mountainous area.
Later on Monday morning, a Turkish drone that joined the rescue operation detected a ‘heat source’, giving an idea of the location of the crash site. But after finding the wreckage of the helicopter on the mountain, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Rohossein Kollivand, said there were no signs of life at the crash site.
Reuters wrote, the crashed helicopter was completely destroyed by fire. Drone images of the crashed helicopter have also been published in Iranian state media.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Iranians not to worry if hopes of rescuing Raisi were fading after Sunday’s accident. He assured everyone that there will be no disruption in the work of the country. He also urged everyone to pray for Raisi.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency also called for prayers for Ibrahim Raisi. In the video on state TV, people can be seen praying for the president in the city of Masad.
Iranian President Raisi visited the Azerbaijan border on Sunday to inaugurate a dam project on the Aras River. Raisi, 63, was elected president of Iran in his second attempt in 2021.
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Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were killed in a helicopter crash, according to state media reports.
State television in Iran confirmed the deaths of several high-ranking officials, including President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian.
“After the helicopter wreckage was discovered in a remote mountainous area of East Azerbaijan province on Monday morning, a senior Iranian official informed Reuters that President Raisi, the foreign minister, and all those aboard the helicopter had perished,” BBC reported.
President Raisi and his delegation were returning to Tabriz, a northeastern city, after attending a project inauguration on the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday. The crash occurred in a mountainous region amid dense fog.
A major rescue operation involving over 40 rescue workers, search dogs, and drones was initiated. However, adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain posed challenges to the rescue efforts.
On Monday morning, a Turkish drone involved in the rescue operation detected a heat source, providing an indication of the crash site’s location. Despite the discovery of the helicopter wreckage on the mountain, Iranian Red Crescent Society head Rohossein Kollivand stated that there were no signs of life at the crash site.
According to Reuters, the helicopter was completely destroyed by fire. Drone images of the crash site were also released by Iranian state media.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reassured Iranians not to worry about the fading hopes of rescuing Raisi after Sunday’s accident. He emphasized that there would be no disruption in the country’s operations and urged the nation to pray for Raisi.
The semi-official Fars news agency also called for prayers for Ibrahim Raisi. State TV footage showed people praying for the president in the city of Masad.
President Raisi had visited the Azerbaijan border on Sunday to inaugurate a dam project on the Aras River. He was elected president of Iran in 2021 on his second attempt.