Search and Rescue Operation Underway as Helicopter Carrying Iran’s President Crashes

"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," Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said in comments aired on Iran's 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," he 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."

In addition to the president and the foreign minister, the governor of the province was also in the helicopter. They had reportedly been traveling with a delegation of ministers in a convoy of three helicopters, and the other two aircraft reached their destinations without incident.

The Iranian president had traveled to the border of Azerbaijan early on Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. The cause of the crash and the status of those aboard remains unknown.

Raisi, 63, is a hardliner who some have seen as a possible successor for 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since taking office in 2021, the country has cracked down on anti-government protests, intensified uranium enrichment, supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and launched a missile and drone attack on Israel.