A helicopter transporting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a “hard landing” on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without providing further details. Some people began urging the public to pray for Raisi and the others on board as rescue crews hurried through a misty, rural forest where his helicopter was believed to have landed.
This likely crash occurs as Iran, under Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, recently launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel and has enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. Meanwhile, Iran has faced years of mass protests against its Shiite theocracy over an ailing economy and women’s rights, making this moment particularly sensitive for Tehran as the Israel-Hamas war inflames tensions in the wider Middle East.
Raisi was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. State TV reported that the incident occurred near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of Tehran. Later, state TV placed it farther east near the village of Uzi, but details remained contradictory.