Iran has launched a search and rescue operation after a helicopter traveling with President Ebrahim Raisi in northwestern Iran got into an 'incident', according to an Iranian TV channel.
Semi-official media provide varying accounts of the incident, but there is no definitive information about what happened to the helicopter or who was on board.
President Raisi was heading to the East Azerbaijan province of Iran. According to Azerbaijani media, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian was also on the helicopter.
TRT reported that Raisi's helicopter was flying from Julfa on the border with Azerbaijan, about 600 km from Tehran.
Earlier, President Raisi attended the opening of the Khudaferin and Giz Galasi hydroelectric complexes on the Araz River with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
It's worth noting that due to international sanctions imposed on Iran, the country faces significant difficulties in acquiring spare parts for helicopters and other aircraft.
