Published 2024-05-19 23.08
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full screen Rescue workers near the site where President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter is believed to have crashed. Photo: Azin Haghighi/Moj News Agency/AP/TT
Search teams are looking for the helicopter that Iran’s president was traveling in. But many questions remain about the helicopter crash in Iran’s mountainous region near the border with Azerbaijan.
Who was on board the helicopter?
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were among the passengers in the helicopter that crashed on Sunday. Employees and bodyguards were also on board the helicopter.
President Raisi came from the Jolfa region in the province of East Azerbaijan, where he inaugurated a dam project together with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. The dam is located on the border of the two countries.
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Where did the accident happen?
The accident occurred in mountainous areas of the Dizmar nature reserve forest area near the city of Varzaghan, according to the state-controlled Iranian news agency Irna.
The first reports at 15:00 Swedish time spoke of a “powerful emergency landing”, a statement made by Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi.
Two more helicopters, which flew at the same time, were said to have weathered the storm.
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Who participates in the search work?
A large search operation was launched, but bad weather, fog and cold made the search operation difficult. Reports on Sunday evening that the helicopter had been found were later contradicted.
About 40 rescue teams searched the terrain late on Sunday.
Several countries have offered help. Turkey has sent rescue aid, arch-rival Saudi Arabia offers support and the EU announces that a map search in the area is being activated. Russia also offers support.
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How does Iran react?
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement that the nation “should pray” for the president’s health and well-being, according to state media company Irib. “If the people of Iran do not worry, our country will not be affected,” Khamenei said.
If the president of Iran dies, the president is replaced by the vice president, currently Mohammed Mokhber. Election of a new president must then be held within 50 days.