A chopper carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has made a “hard landing” due to bad weather conditions in the mountains in the North West of the country, state media reported on Sunday without elaborating further.
According to the Iranian state media, President Raisi was heading to the city of Tabriz, in the north west of Iran. He was returning from an Iran-Azerbaijan border area.
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Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the rescuers were still trying to reach the accident site as difficult weather conditions hampered rescue efforts.
International media reports claimed that no contact has been made yet and the condition of those on board the helicopter remains unknown.
Iranian foreign minister was also accompanying President Raisi in a convoy of three helicopters.
Two of the helicopter reportedly landed safely and the chopper carrying Raisi is reported to have met the accident.
Raisi was elected Iran’s president in 2021. An Islamic hardliner, he is seen by many as a potential successor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Meanwhile, the state media has also asked people of the country to start praying for its president. Some videos have also surfaced on social media showing people praying for the safety of President Raisi.