There is a risk that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were killed in a plane crash, Reuters reports, citing an unnamed Iranian official, UNN reports.
Details
According to an Iranian official, the helicopter crashed while crossing mountainous terrain in fog.
We are still full of hope, but the information coming from the crash site is very worrying
Nothing is known about the condition of the Iranian president.
The Tehran Times reported that Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamenei held an emergency meeting of the Security Council after reports of a hard landing of Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter, but later denied the report.
According to Reuters, Iran's state television has suspended all regular programs to show prayers for Ebrahim Raisi across the country and live broadcasts of rescue teams searching the mountainous terrain on foot in thick fog. According to the state-run IRNA news agency, the bad weather is making rescue efforts difficult.
Context
The Iranian president's Mi-171 helicopter disappeared on Sunday, May 19, after Ebrahim Raisi met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the border of the two countries. According to AP, the crash occurred near the city of Julfa, 600 kilometers northwest of Tehran. The presidential motorcade included three helicopters. The other two helicopters were carrying Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Roads Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash, and they reached their destination safely.