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A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi skilled a “onerous touchdown” on Sunday, in line with Iranian state media.
Iranian media, in line with a number of experiences, mentioned rescue groups had been dispatched to the location within the Dizmar Forest between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, close to its border with Azerbaijan.
The circumstances of the incident stay unclear as Inside Minister Ahmad Vahidi initially mentioned the helicopter “was compelled to make a tough touchdown because of the dangerous climate and fog.”
Search groups later advised Iranian state TV that officers had discovered the helicopter and made contact with one passenger and one crew member, although that would not be confirmed.
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A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi skilled a “onerous touchdown” on Sunday, in line with Iranian state media. (Angela Weiss/AFP through Getty Photographs/File)
Iranian officers have mentioned the mountainous, forested terrain and heavy fog impeded search and rescue operations. The president of the Iranian Crimson Crescent Society, Pir-Hossein Koulivand, mentioned 40 search groups had been on the bottom within the space regardless of “difficult climate circumstances.”
The search is being performed by groups on the bottom as “the climate circumstances have made it unimaginable to conduct aerial searches” through drones, Koulivand mentioned, in line with IRNA.
Raisi was touring in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province close to town of Jolfa on the time of the incident. Iranian International Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and the governor of the East Azerbaijan province had been touring with the president, together with different officers.
“The esteemed president and firm had been on their means again aboard some helicopters, and one of many helicopters was compelled to make a tough touchdown because of the dangerous climate and fog,” Vahidi mentioned in feedback aired on state TV.
“Numerous rescue groups are on their approach to the area, however due to the poor climate and fogginess, it’d take time for them to achieve the helicopter,” he added.
“The area is a bit [rugged] and it’s tough to make contact. We’re ready for rescue groups to achieve the touchdown web site and provides us extra data,” he continued.
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One authorities official used the phrase “crash” to explain the incident, however he advised an Iranian newspaper that he had but to achieve the location himself.
Iranian International Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was additionally aboard the helicopter that skilled a “onerous touchdown” in Iran. (ATTA KENARE/AFP through Getty Photographs)
International locations together with Russia, Iraq and Qatar have made formal statements of concern about Raisi’s destiny and provided to help within the search operations.
Saudi Arabia, which is historically a rival of Iran, though the 2 international locations have just lately made a rapprochement, additionally expressed concern in an announcement and mentioned it “stands by Iran in these tough circumstances.”
Raisi had been in Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The dam is the third one which the 2 nations constructed on the Aras River.
Iran’s regime has but to make a proper assertion about Raisi’s standing. (AP Picture/Vahid Salemi)
The go to got here regardless of fragile relations between the 2 international locations, together with over a gun assault on Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Tehran in 2023 and Azerbaijan’s diplomatic relations with Israel, which Iran’s Shiite theocracy views as its most important enemy within the area.
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There was no speedy official response from Israel. Final month, following an Israeli strike on an Iranian consular constructing in Damascus that killed two Iranian generals, Tehran launched a whole bunch of missiles and drones at Israel. They had been largely shot down and tensions have apparently since subsided.
The Related Press contributed to this report.