Helicopter carrying Iranian president crashes, state media reports

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was with the country's foreign minister on board of a helicopter that crashed on Sunday, according to Iranian state media.Credit...Vahid Salemi/Associated Press

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign representatives The minister crashed in the country's mountainous northwest on Sunday, state media said, deepening unrest that has gripped the country on the international and domestic fronts in recent months.

Mr. Raisi, 63, came from the Iranian border with Azerbaijan to inaugurate a joint dam project. The helicopter, carrying Mr. Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, state media reported, crashed near the town of Varzaghan around 1 p.m. local time, in bad weather and thick fog.

Search and rescue teams scoured an area of ​​high mountains and forest dense in rain and fog for more than 10 hours. At one point, authorities called off aerial searches due to weather conditions, sending soldiers on foot, elite Revolutionary Guard commandos and 40 rescue teams to locate the crash site. p>

Even late at night, state media had not yet reported the victims, nor the condition of the president or any other person on board. The cause of the accident was also unknown.

“There will be no disruption in the functioning of the country,” said the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. a speech on state television. “Senior officials are doing their job and I have advised them on the necessary points and all operations of the country will run smoothly and orderly.”

Following the announcement of the Iranian president's helicopter crash in Tehran on Sunday.Credit...Arash Khamooshi for the New York Times

Mr. Raïssi, a conservative who has violently suppressed dissent, is widely seen as a possible successor to the supreme leader. The uncertainty over its fate comes at a particularly tumultuous time for Iran.

Its shadow war with Israel has erupted in broad daylight after the Hamas attack on Israel. on October 7, triggering the war in Gaza and a cascade of strikes and counterattacks throughout the region.

The hostilities became even more pronounced. after Israel carried out airstrikes on a building in the Iranian embassy complex in Syria in April. Iran retaliated with its first direct attack on Israel after decades of enmity, launching more than 300 drones and missiles at the country, many of which were shot down.

Domestically, Iran is also facing widespread anger, with many residents calling for an end to clerical rule. Corruption and sanctions have destroyed the economy, but...