TZVI JOFFRE MAY 19, 2024 15:53
The Islamic regime in Iran expressed concern for the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian after the helicopter they were traveling in suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday afternoon.
Details about the incident remained unclear as of Sunday afternoon, although reports indicated the accident involved the president’s helicopter and foggy weather. According to the Iranian IRNA news agency, the helicopter crashed in a forest area between the villages of PirDavood and Uzi in northwestern Iran.
According to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, emergency services were conducting searches to try and find the president’s helicopter, but the foggy weather and huge, 70-meter tall boulders in the area were complicating search efforts. Over 40 rescue teams were operating in the area as part of search efforts.
تصاویری از برنامهریزی تیمهای جستوجو برای یافتن بالگرد #رئیسجمهور#بالگرد pic.twitter.com/8B1FHvo71e
— خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) May 19, 2024
The reformist Ensaf News site cited an informed source as saying that the crash was “serious” and that there was a “high probability” of injuries in the accident.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi seen before boarding a helicopter in Azerbaijan, May 19, 2024 (credit: MEHR NEWS AGENCY)
Iranian FM, regional leaders in helicopter with Raisi
Amir-Abdollahian and Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist in East Azerbaijan and the Imam of Friday Prayer in Tabriz, were reportedly in the helicopter with Raisi.
The Deputy Coordinator of Civil Affairs of East Azerbaijan said that there were three helicopters in the convoy, two of which landed safely and one of which fell, according to Iranian state media. The deputy coordinator added that he did not know any details about possible casualties or the exact cause of the accident.
Iranian media reported that some people were able to talk with Ale-Hashem shortly after the incident but that contact had since been lost.
Regime religious leaders held prayers for Raisi’s health in several locations across Iran, according to Iranian state media.
قرائت دعای توسل در حرمهای رضوی و حضرت معصومه برای سلامتی رئیسجمهور و همراهان pic.twitter.com/OoTIr6bGcM
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) May 19, 2024
An emergency session of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council was held with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in attendance on Sunday evening in light of the situation, according to the Tehran Times.
Raisi had met with Azerbaijani Elham Aliyev earlier on Sunday on the Azerbaijani-Iranian border.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-801726.
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