Helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi crashes, state media says

The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashed, and the rescue mission is being complicated by harsh weather conditions, according to Iranian state-run news.

The helicopter was also carrying other major Iranian officials such as Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, according to the state outlet IRNA. 

Iranian news outlets initially reported that the chopper suffered a "hard landing" as he traveled back from the East Azerbaijan province. The outlets also asked for prayers for Raisi and his fellow passengers.

Rescue teams are searching for the crash site in a forested area of eastern Iran, but are facing issues with "harsh weather" and "heavy fog," the outlet said, as translated.

Azerbijan President Ilham Aliyev, who met with Raisi and his delegation earlier in the day Sunday, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "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 and the accompanying delegation."

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