The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior officials has gone down, according to state-run media. Rescuers are searching for the aircraft.
Tehran, Iran - Rescuers are searching for a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior officials that went down on Sunday. The state-run IRNA media outlet reported that the aircraft crashed as the president returned from a trip to the city of Kerman.
According to IRNA, the helicopter went down in a mountainous area of the province of Kerman. The aircraft was carrying Raisi, the interior minister, the transport minister, and several other officials.
The cause of the crash is not yet known. However, IRNA reported that the weather in the area was bad at the time of the incident.
Raisi is a conservative cleric who was elected president in June 2021. He is a close ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, is a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The transport minister, Mohammad Eslami, is a former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
The crash is a major blow to the Iranian government. Raisi is a key figure in the country's political system, and his death would create a power vacuum.
The search for the helicopter is ongoing. Rescuers are using helicopters and drones to search the mountainous area where the aircraft went down.
The Iranian government has not yet released any information about the condition of Raisi or the other passengers on the helicopter. However, IRNA reported that the president was conscious and speaking after the crash.
The crash comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States. The two countries have been engaged in a diplomatic standoff over Iran's nuclear program.
The United States has also imposed sanctions on Iran in an effort to pressure the country to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
The crash is likely to further strain relations between the two countries. The United States has expressed concern about the safety of Raisi and the other passengers on the helicopter.
The crash is also likely to have a significant impact on Iran's domestic politics. Raisi is a key figure in the country's conservative establishment. His death would create a power vacuum that could lead to instability.
The crash is a major tragedy for Iran. The loss of Raisi and the other passengers on the helicopter would be a major blow to the country's political system.
