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UPDATE:
The exact location of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi has now been determined, according to the Tasnim news agency.
The crash site of the helicopter is in the outskirts of the village of Uzi in the forests of Arsbaran, the semi-official news agency reported. It also noted that rescue teams were on their way to the area.
According to preliminary reports, the Mi-171 helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi suffered a hard landing in East Azerbaijan. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdulahiyan was also on board the aircraft. The incident reportedly took place near the city of Julfa, which is 600 kilometers from the Iranian border. The aircraft was moving towards Iran after the visit of the head of state to Azerbaijan.
So far, there is no official information about the incident. Some reports claim that the helicopter crashed, other Iranian clarify that it made a hard landing. The exact area of the landing of the helicopter is reportedly not known due to difficult weather conditions, which also complicate the rescue operations. Rescue services and police units are conducting search operations. Rescuers are currently trying to get to the landing site.
The crew of the helicopter was contacted which increases the chances that the passengers were alive. According to preliminary reports, Raisi survived the accident.
The Iranian Interior Minister has not yet officially confirmed the information that the president of the country was not injured after the hard landing of the helicopter, there is no connection with him.
Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior, in a conversation regarding the accident involving the President’s helicopter in East Azerbaijan, said: “Today, we had the inauguration of the Qiz Qalasi Dam with the presence of the President of Azerbaijan, and afterwards, the President and his entourage were on their way back with several helicopters, one of which had to make a hard landing due to bad weather and the conditions in the area.”
He added: “Rescue teams have been dispatched to the area, but given the foggy and unfavorable conditions, it may take some time to reach the helicopter.”
Vahidi said: “We have been in contact with the President’s entourage, but since the area is complex, communication is somewhat difficult, and we are waiting for the rescue teams to reach the accident site and the helicopter landing site to provide us with information.”
In total, there were three helicopters coming back to Iran. The Ministers of energy and infrastructure, who were accompanying the President in the official visit and who were reportedly traveling by other two helicopters, have arrived safely in Iran.
This Sunday morning President Raisi held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. They attended the opening ceremony of the Kyz-Kalasy dam at the Khodaafarin reservoir. This facility has become one of the largest joint projects between Iran and Azerbaijan.
This is the second incident in the last week that threatens the life of a head of state whose policy contradicts Western hegemony. On May 15, Slovak Prime Minister of Fico was heavily wounded in an assassination attempt for his neutral position towards the Ukrainian conflict and the refusal to supply weapons to the Kiev regime. The incident with the Iranian President definately raises a lot of suspicions. The official reports and the investigation are yet to clarify the situation.
