The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Iran held a meeting at the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Photo
A rescue operation is ongoing in the mountains near the Iranian-Azerbaijani border. This follows a “hard landing” involving one of the helicopters in a convoy transporting Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, The Guardian reports on May, 19th.
Neither the state-run IRNA news agency nor state television provided any details on President Raisi’s condition, but they broadcast prayers for his safety. He was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.
State TV reported the incident occurred near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, about 375 miles (600km) northwest of Tehran.
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Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan, and other officials were with Raisi, according to IRNA. A local official referred to the incident as a “crash,” but admitted to an Iranian newspaper that he had not yet reached the site.
On Sunday morning, Raisi visited Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam with President Ilham Aliyev. This dam is the third joint project on the Aras River between the two countries. Despite tensions, including a 2023 gun attack on Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran and Azerbaijan’s diplomatic ties with Israel, Raisi’s visit proceeded as planned. Iran’s Shia theocracy considers Israel its main regional adversary.
Iran has a diverse fleet of helicopters, but international sanctions hinder access to necessary parts. Most of its military aircraft are from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Guardian and agencies