Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dies in helicopter crash

Iranian President Syyed Ebrahim Raisi, and his staff, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, died in a helicopter crash in the mountains of East Azerbaijan province, state media confirmed on Monday.

Iran's Interior Minister attributed the crash to foggy weather. State media reported that rescuers located the helicopter's wreckage after a Turkish Akinci drone identified two "heat sources" in the village of Tawal.

The 63-year-old Raisi was in Azerbaijan early on Sunday to inaugurate a dam alongside his counterpart Ilham Aliyev. After the ceremony, Raisi and his entourage departed in a convoy of three helicopters to inaugurate another project, losing contact shortly after departure.

"At around 1 pm, the president left Tabriz to inaugurate two projects, but the helicopter lost contact shortly after leaving," the head of the search and rescue teams, Mohsen Mansouri told the media.

"Three helicopters left Tabriz, but, half an hour later, two lost contact with the one carrying the president," he added.

International media reported that the helicopter, a Bell 212, was acquired by the Iranian military in the 1970s during the last years of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s reign.

Iran operates various helicopters, most dating back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and international sanctions have complicated obtaining spare parts.

The entire army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was ordered to assist with the rescue mission.

More than 65 search and rescue teams, medical crews and drones were sent to the area near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, some 375 miles north-west of Tehran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reassured citizens that there would be no disruption to state affairs. 

"The people of Iran should not worry; there will be no disruption in the work of the country," he said.

The crash occurred days after Iran fired missiles at Israel, amid growing international pressure on Raisi, who became president in 2021 and has maintained a hardline stance on international and domestic issues.