Iranian official media reported that President Raisi of Iran died in a helicopter crash.
Iranian state media said on Monday morning that President Ebrahim Raisi had died in a helicopter crash.
Along with the other passengers, the catastrophe claimed the lives of the Iranian minister of foreign affairs. Following the announcement of Raisi's passing on Monday, his administration called an urgent meeting.
In the rural, mountainous region of northern Iran, close to the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia, the officials' helicopter crashed on Sunday when it was flying through rainy and foggy circumstances near the towns of Kalibar and Warzghan.
The missing chopper carrying Raisi was confirmed to have been located earlier on Monday by the Red Crescent. Initially, it was reported that the helicopter had made a "hard landing." Hossein Kolivand, the head of Iran's Red Crescent, had informed state media that there was "no indication of life."
The head of Iran's Red Crescent told state television, "The president's chopper has been discovered." "We are approaching the location and can make out the aircraft. Details are unknown to us. Let us disclose the specifics from atop the chopper. The helicopter is almost two kilometers distant from us."
When inquired about if they could see any traces of a crash or fire, he responded, "Things are not good here."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry claims that shortly after the incident, search and rescue efforts were started.
Iran's official news agency, IRNA, said early on Monday local time that a Turkish drone dispatched to assist with rescue operations had discovered two hot spots in the village of Tawal.
Rescue teams from the Red Crescent started "going towards the likely landing spot of the chopper," according to an earlier IRNA report.
"At present, 73 rescue teams are searching for the helicopter in Tawal village. Among them, 23 Red Crescent teams, which include detector dogs, have been dispatched from Tehran and nearby provinces to the accident site. They have also brought advanced and specialized equipment with them," IRNA stated on Sunday.
The emergency personnel reported that the weather in the area was terrible on Sunday and throughout the night.
The Red Crescent National Emergency Management Headquarters stated, "The search effort is conducted despite the tough conditions and decreased visibility in the area." The weather in the area is hazy and rainy.
According to Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary for the White House, President Joe Biden was informed of the Iranian president's helicopter incident on Sunday.
According to a spokeswoman on Sunday, the State Department was actively monitoring reports of the incident.
According to TASS, a Russian news agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Sunday that he was sending 50 rescuers, two planes, and one helicopter to Iran to aid in the search.
The Turkish Defense Ministry claims that in order to assist with search and rescue efforts, the nation dispatched an Akinci UAV and a Cougar-style chopper equipped with night vision capabilities.
The event took place in the central Iranian hilly regions of Kalibar and Warzghan.
The president's family member earlier told the Fars News Agency that the weather's fog caused the helicopter to land.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the president's chopper had a "rough landing" during a state television interview.
A representative for the Iranian government referred to the chopper event as a "accident" later on Sunday.
"The conditions we are facing are complex and challenging. Although the public and media have a right to know the most recent information regarding the president's helicopter crash, as of right now, there has not been any fresh information released due to weather and accident site coordinates. The government spokeswoman stated that the best course of action at this time is to have patience, pray, and have faith in relief organizations.
On Sunday at around 3:45 p.m. local time, or 8:15 a.m. ET, the first reports of problems with Raisi's helicopter—one of three in a convoy carrying the Iranian officials—started to surface on state-affiliated media.
The head of the Iranian Red Crescent told state television that 40 search and rescue teams had been dispatched to the region initially. The Red Crescent said that even though search and rescue planes were dispatched to the region, the weather made it impossible for them to take off.
According to Vahidi, Raisi was on his way home after helping to open the Khoda Afarin and Qiz Qalasi dams close to Azerbaijan when the event happened.
According to Vahidi, "poor weather and fog in the vicinity prompted one of the helicopters to make a difficult landing."
Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, who accompanied Raisi to the dam dedication on Sunday, promised his nation's help in finding the helicopter.
"We were deeply disturbed by the news of a helicopter carrying the top delegation crash-landing in Iran today, after bidding a kind farewell to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi," Aliyev wrote in a post on the social media platform X. "President Ebrahim Raisi and the accompanying delegation are in our thoughts and prayers to Allah Almighty. The Republic of Azerbaijan, as a neighbor, friend, and brotherly nation, is prepared to provide whatever aid required."
The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also requested in a statement on Sunday that people pray for Raisi and the others to be found safe.
"We pray that Almighty God will bring the esteemed president and his allies back to the national arms," Khamenei declared. "We should all pray for this bunch of servants' health."
Hami Hamedi of ABC News contributed to this article.
