Unclear whether helicopter was found
Raisi's deputy calls an emergency meeting in Tehran
While the search for the suspected Iranian president who died in an accident is in full swing, the government is meeting in Tehran under the leadership of Raisi's deputy. Reports on state TV that the wreck had been found were denied shortly afterwards.
Iran's cabinet met with President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian for an emergency meeting in light of the helicopter accident. First Vice President Mohammed Mochber chaired the meeting late in the evening, state news agency Irna reported. He ordered further measures for the rescue operation. According to protocol, Mochber would be the head of government in the event of Raisi's death. There is concern among government supporters that something may have happened to the nine-member crew with Raisi and Amirabdollahian on board.
After dark, rescuers continued to search for the scene of the helicopter accident on foot in bad weather conditions. 65 rescue teams were now involved in the search for the crew of the helicopter, including the Iranian armed forces. According to the Tasnim news agency, the scene of the accident has been located. State television also reported that the president's plane had been found. Immediately afterwards, however, television reported that the Red Crescent was rejecting reports that the wreck had been found. Further details about the information were not initially reported.
Erdogan promises help
Iran's government asked emergency services in neighboring Türkiye to help with the search. In particular, helicopters with night vision devices were requested. Meanwhile, special mountain rescue units also arrived in the accident region, as the Iranian state agency Irna reported. The helicopter crashed in the northwest of the country after a meeting between Raisi and the President of neighboring Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to help Iran. Turkey is ready to “provide any necessary support,” Erdogan wrote on Platform X. “We are deeply saddened that the Iranian President, my brother Ebrahim Raisi, and his delegation had a helicopter accident,” Erdogan continued. He hopes to receive good news as soon as possible.
The European Commission is also supporting Iran in its search for the site of the helicopter accident. The EU Commissioner Janez Lenarcic, who is responsible for EU crisis aid, wrote in the evening on Platform The service claims to provide detailed, on-demand information for emergency situations by providing satellite-based geodata and images.
