A helicopter carrying Iran President, Ebrahim Raisi has reportedly crashed after it developed a hard landing on Sunday, May 19.
Sunday Telegraph gathered that the tragic incident occurred near Jolfa, a city located on the border with Azerbaijan, in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
The site of the incident is approximately 600 kilometres (375 miles) northwest of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Despite poor weather conditions, rescuers are making efforts to reach the location.
As of the time of filing this report, no further details have been provided by Iranian state television.
However, emerging reports revealed that it remains unclear whether the President was actually on board when the tragic incident happened.
Further details revealed that heavy rain and strong winds have been reported in the area.
On Sunday, Raisi reportedly visited Azerbaijan to participate in the inauguration of a dam alongside President Ilham Aliyev.
This dam marks the third joint project between the two nations on the Aras River.
Iran operates a diverse range of helicopters within its borders, but international sanctions hinder the acquisition of spare parts. The majority of its military air fleet predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Raisi, aged 63, is known for his hard-line stance and previously served as the head of Iran’s judiciary.
He is considered a protege of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, leading some analysts to speculate that he may succeed the 85-year-old leader upon his retirement or demise.
