Iranian state TV has confirmed that President Ebrahim Raisi, along with his foreign minister and others aboard the helicopter, tragically lost their lives in a crash on Sunday.
Among the deceased was Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, alongside several others.
Following the accident, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey dispatched mountain rescue teams to Iran.
Early Monday morning, three more victims from the crash were identified, including Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, the Friday prayers imam in Tabriz, and General Malek Rahmati, the governor of East Azerbaijan province in Iran.
Also among the casualties was the commander of the president’s protection unit, Sardar Seyed Mehdi Mousavi, along with a number of bodyguards and helicopter crew whose names have yet to be disclosed. State media reported that the helicopter encountered difficulties during landing.
Reports indicate that President Raisi was en route to the city of Tabriz, in northwest Iran, after returning from the border with Azerbaijan, where he had inaugurated the Qiz Qalasi and Khodaafarin dams.
The crash site is approximately 50 kilometers north of Tabriz.
Ahmad Alirezabeigi, an Iranian MP representing Tabriz, informed Tehran media that the other two helicopters in the convoy landed safely.
