Tehran, Iran — A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials has been found after losing contact during a flight to Tabriz. The situation has been described as “not good” by Iran’s Red Crescent chief, Pirhossein Koolivand.
The helicopter disappeared from radar approximately 30 minutes after departing from the site of the newly inaugurated Qiz Qalasi Dam, a project on the Iran-Azerbaijan border that President Raisi and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had just inaugurated. The dam is a significant symbol of cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
The loss of contact sparked immediate concerns and initiated a massive search and rescue operation. Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu reported that a drone identified a heat source, believed to be the wreckage of the helicopter, and shared the coordinates with Iranian authorities. This crucial information helped narrow down the search area significantly.
“The helicopter has been found. Now, we are moving toward the helicopter,” said Koolivand, according to a report by AFP. However, he expressed grave concerns about the state of the helicopter’s occupants, saying “the situation is not good.”
Details on the condition of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and the other officials on board remain unclear. Rescue teams are racing against time to reach the wreckage and assess the situation. The Iranian government has yet to release an official statement on the incident.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the region, given the high-profile nature of the passengers and the symbolic importance of their visit to Tabriz. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, with messages of concern and solidarity pouring in from various world leaders.
Further updates are expected as rescue teams reach the site and provide more information on the aftermath of the crash. The circumstances surrounding the helicopter’s loss of contact and subsequent crash are under investigation.
