Iran's President Raisi's helicopter crashes, local media reports

Iranian state news agency IRNA said on Sunday that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's status is presently unknown following a helicopter crash while he was visiting a northern province.

According to IRNA, emergency personnel have not yet been able to approach the downed airplane in East Azerbaijan Province, where it was carrying Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, because of dense fog. The precise condition of Raisi's helicopter is unknown.

According to Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces have been around the crash site since the early hours of Sunday. Drones and twenty rescue teams were dispatched to the scene of the downed chopper.

The chopper carrying Raisi and Amir Abdollahian was returning from an event marking the opening of a dam on Iran's border with Azerbaijan when it "crashed upon landing in Varzaqan region on Sunday," according to IRNA English.

According to Iran's interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, one of the helicopters had to make a hard landing because of the cloudy weather.

“Now different rescue groups are moving towards the area but given that it is foggy and the unsuitable weather and the conditions it may take some time until they reach where the helicopter is,” said Vahidi during a televised address posted on Telegram by Iranian state news agency IRNA.

“Some of the president’s companions on this helicopter were able to communicate with Central Headquarters, raising hopes that the incident could have ended without casualties,” Tasnim added.

Three other helicopters were in a convoy with the helicopter. Tasnim said that two of those helicopters carried ministers and officials who made it safely to their destination.

Raisi, 63, is a favorite of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and some observers consider him as a potential successor.