Iranian President’s Helicopter Crashes in East Azerbaijan

A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and other high-ranking officials crashed while traveling back from a border visit with Azerbaijan. The incident occurred in the Dizmar Protected Area near the village of Uzi in East Azerbaijan province.

President Raisi was returning from the inauguration of a joint dam project with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev when the crash took place. Also aboard the helicopter were Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, and Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem.

According to initial reports, the helicopter suffered a “hard landing” due to the foggy weather conditions in the area. Search and rescue operations are currently underway, with 20 teams and drones deployed to the remote crash site.

However, conflicting reports emerged earlier claiming that the location of the downed helicopter had been found, only to be quickly dismissed by the Iranian Red Crescent. The fate of President Raisi and the other officials remains unknown as authorities continue their efforts to locate and recover the helicopter.

Upon Iranian request for assistance, the EU announced the activation of its rapid response mapping service to trace the Iranian president’s helicopter. The Copernicus EMS, renowned for its rapid and precise mapping capabilities, will support the ongoing search and rescue efforts.

Several Countries, including Russia, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, have expressed readiness to assist within their capacity in the ongoing search and rescue operations.

More details are expected to emerge as the search and investigation progress.