Unnamed official: lives of president and foreign minister âat riskâ following âcrashâ
An unnamed Iranian official told Reuters that the lives of the president and his foreign minister were âat riskâ following a âcrashâ.
So far, Iranian state media had been reporting that Ebrahim Raisiâs helicopter was forced to make a âhard landingâ.
Key events
Crashed helicopter found by search teams, state TV reports
The helicopter that crashed has been found by search teams, state TV have reported.
There is no update yet on the condition of those on board.
Qatar is ready to provide âall forms of supportâ for Iranâs search efforts, the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia and Russia have also released statements offering similar support.
Janez LenarÄiÄ, the European Commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, said the EU is activating its Copernicus emergency mapping service in response to an Iranian request for assistance.
Upon Iranian request for assistance we are activating the ðªðº’s @CopernicusEMS rapid response ð¡ mapping service in view of to the helicopter accident reportedly carrying the President of #Iran and its foreign minister. #EUSolidarity
— Janez LenarÄiÄ (@JanezLenarcic) May 19, 2024
Iranian official: Contact made with passenger and crew member
Contact has been made with one passenger and one crew member who were on the helicopter, an unnamed Iranian official told state TV.
The official said contact has been made on several occasions.
Rescuers have not reached crash site yet due to weather conditions
Rescuers have not yet reached the crash site of a helicopter carrying Iranâs president and foreign minister and are âexperiencing difficult and complicated conditionsâ, an Iranian government spokesperson said.
In a post on X, Ali Bahadori Jahromi said there was still no update on Ebrahim Raisi and Hossein Amirabdollahian condition.
âIt is the right of the people and the media to be aware of the latest news about the presidentâs helicopter accident, but according to the coordinates of the accident site and the weather conditions, there is ânoâ new news until now,â Jahromi added.
âIn these moments, patience, prayer, and trust in relief groups are the way forward.â
Iranâs supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the nation âshould prayâ for Raisiâs health, state broadcaster IRIB reported.
âIf the people of Iran do not worry, there will be no disruption in the work of the countryâ, he added.
âWe are closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister,â a US state department spokesperson said in a statement.
A spokesperson for President Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters aboard Air Force One that the president had been briefed on the situation.
The president of Azerbaijan said he was âseriously worriedâ after hearing about Ebrahim Raisiâs helicopter crash.
Ilham Aliyev had met the Iranian president earlier today for the inauguration of a dam in Azerbaijan.
âToday, after meeting with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ibrahim Raisi we were seriously worried by the news that the helicopter carrying the high delegation made an emergency landing in Iran,â he posted on X.
âOur prayers to almighty God are with President Ibrahim Raisi and his accompanying delegation.â
He added Azerbaijan was ready to provide any necessary support to Iran.
Today, after bidding a friendly farewell to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, we were profoundly troubled by the news of a helicopter carrying the top delegation crash-landing in Iran. Our prayers to Allah Almighty are with President Ebrahim Raisi andâ¦
— Ilham Aliyev (@presidentaz) May 19, 2024
A summary of today’s developments
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Rescuers in Iran are trying to reach a helicopter which had a âhard landingâ, state media reported, while traveling with an entourage including the Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi. The incident, which involved one helicopter in a convoy of three, was reported by Iranian state television on Sunday, which described it as an accident.
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An unnamed Iranian official told Reuters that the lives of the president and his foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were âat riskâ following a âcrashâ as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog.
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The Red Crescent humanitarian movement had reported three of its workers were missing but later said they were accounted for. The search teams are close to the where the helicopter may have crashed, the BBC reported. The Red Crescent spokesperson added the search and rescue operation will slow down as the weather is expected to get âseverely coldâ soon with more rain forecast.
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Raisi was traveling in Iranâs East Azerbaijan province, with state TV describing the area of the helicopter incident as being near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan. The president had been in Azerbaijan earlier on Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijanâs president Ilham Aliyev. The dam is the third one that the two nations have built on the Aras river.
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All army resources will be utilised for the search and rescue operations Iranianâs army chief of staff said, state TV reported. Major general Mohammad Bagheri has also ordered guards to take part in the search efforts, it said.
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Iraq has instructed its interior ministry, the Red Crescent and other relevant bodies to offer help to neighbouring Iran and assist in the search.
The Red Crescent humanitarian movement had said that three of its workers were missing but later said they were accounted for.
The search teams are close to the where the helicopter may have crashed, the BBC reported.
The Red Crescent spokesperson added the search and rescue operation will slow down as the weather is expected to get âseverely coldâ soon with more rain forecast.
Iraq has instructed its interior ministry, the Red Crescent and other relevant bodies to offer help to neighbouring Iran and assist in the search after the Iranian presidentâs helicopter crashed in mountainous terrain, the Iraqi government said in a statement.
