Helicopter carrying Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi crashes in bad weather, says state TV

Iranian state media has reported a helicopter transporting the country's president crashed due to harsh weather conditions.

After visiting Azerbaijan, the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi travelled to the remote northwest region of the country.

The rescue teams and military are facing difficulty getting to the location due to thick fog in a hilly region.

According to an unnamed official who spoke to state TV, they have been in communication with both a passenger and a crew member of the president's helicopter multiple times.

The most recent news from Iran involves search efforts for President Ebrahim Raisi following a crash. The rescue team is currently trying to locate him.

On Sunday, a representative from Iran alerted Reuters news agency that the safety of both the president and foreign minister is in danger.

The anonymous official expressed optimism, but shared that the reports from the scene of the accident were worrisome.

Reports indicate that the head of state was accompanied on his journey by Hossein Amirabdollahian, the foreign minister, as well as the governor of East Azerbaijan province and several other government officials.

The interior minister, Ahmed Vahidi, reported that Mr. Raisi was traveling in a group of three airplanes but didn't give a clear confirmation that he was on the helicopter that was engaged in the incident.

At first, the official media reported that the event took place close to Jolfa located approximately 375 miles (600km) away from Tehran. However, they later updated the location to be even farther east, specifically in the vicinity of the village of Uzi.

Raisi visited Azerbaijan recently to attend the ceremony for the opening of a new dam alongside the country's leader, Ilham Aliyev.

According to Mr. Vahidi, who appeared on state television, the president and his companions were returning on helicopters when a helicopter had to make an emergency landing because of the hazardous weather and dense fog.

Numerous teams for rescue are journeying to the area; however, owing to the inadequate weather and mistiness, it could demand a considerable time for them to get to the helicopter.

According to Mr Vahidi, the area is quite rough and tough to connect with. As of now, they are anticipating that the rescue teams will arrive at the designated location and provide them with additional details.

According to IRNA's emergency services spokesperson Babak Yektaparast, a rescue helicopter attempted to arrive at the location but was hindered by the fog and unable to land.

The head of the military instructed for all available assets to be utilized and Iraq has also extended a hand in assistance.

Interpretation: The search for Iran's President is losing hope, leading to significant impacts. The search for Iran's President is becoming increasingly bleak, which will have significant consequences. The outcome of the search will have far-reaching implications for the country.

Iran is currently in a sensitive situation.

The passing of President Raisi, if it is indeed true, will hold significant implications as he is the second in command in Iran, right after the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

For now, Mohammad Mokhber, his deputy, will take charge, and voting will take place within a period of 50 days.

Following Mahsa Amini's death in 2022, the protest movement might have a chance to resurface after years of demonstrations against the government.

Raisi's popularity isn't widespread across Iran. His ascent to the presidency in 2021 only came after a second attempt and with a voter turnout of only 41%, the lowest since the revolution of 1979.

It is probable that the Supreme Leader's preferred candidate, who is also a staunch conservative, will take up the position as his replacement.

In the distant future, Raisi's passing will have an impact on the Supreme Leader. He was believed to be one of the primary candidates to take over from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei upon his death, alongside Khamenei's son Mojtaba.

Search and rescue teams are facing a tremendous challenge due to the dense fog, heavy rain, and darkness. The optimism of finding any survivors is slowly disappearing.

Raisi's demise will be lamented by devout and traditional Iranians, but for plenty of others, it will signify the departure of an individual who was responsible for committing violent acts.

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A lot of the airplanes that Iran's military uses are outdated, and they were built before 1979. Getting the parts they need for repairs can be a challenge due to the international sanctions.

The official media displayed pictures of individuals engaging in prayer for the president in the sacred city of Mashhad and various areas.

At the age of 63, Mr Raisi is known for his conservative views and previous position as the leader of the legal system in Iran. Many consider him to be a close ally of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the supreme leader of Iran.

People have made predictions that he might take the place of the elderly person who is 85 years old in the future.

In the year 2021, President Raisi won the election with the least number of people turning up to vote in the history of the Islamic republic.

The US has imposed sanctions on the president due to their involvement in the mass killing of political prisoners that occurred during the final stages of the Iran-Iraq conflict back in 1988.

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During Mr Raisi's leadership, significant demonstrations occurred regarding Mahsa Amini's death, which allegedly resulted from improper wearing of her hijab while in police custody.

In April, Iran made the exceptional choice of carrying out an assault on Israel using both drones and missiles.

According to Alistair Bunkall, who works as Sky's Middle East correspondent, the president has faced some criticism over his hardline approach, leading to him not being widely accepted.

The individual stated that they would have played a significant role in the delicate circumstance within the larger area. This is due to the fact that Iran-backed groups in Lebanon and Yemen have been initiating attacks that are connected to the Gaza conflict.

Currently, there is no indication that any outside party, such as Israel, America, or another country, was involved in this incident, according to Bunkall.