Iran President Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister dead in helicopter crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein AmirAbdollahian has died in the helicopter crash Mehr News Agency a semiofficial news agency of the Iranian government said on Monday reported news agency ANIHowever there has been no official confirmation of thisMehr news agency today reported that the Iranian president foreign minister and other occupants of the helicopter including East Azerbaijan Province Governor Malek Rahmati have been martyredThere is still no official confirmation that Raisi is dead but medics have said that they found no signs of life at the crash site reported ANIThe crash site of the helicopter carrying President Raisi was found in the forested mountains earlier todayDrone footage shared by Iranian state news agency IRNA showed wreckage of President Raisis helicopter The footage was shot by the Red Crescent reported ANIThe wreckage was found on the route from Khoylar village to KelemTasnim News Agency reported from Varzeqan that after the probable coordinates of the crash site were announced rescue teams immediately went to the designated location but there was no sign of the helicopter reported ANIThe search operation continued as daylight broke along the Khoylar to Kelem routeRescue teams then noticed the helicopters blades and wings on a hill and immediately changed their course towards the hillThe Iranian Red Crescent head highlighted that according to the videos from the rescue teams the entire cabin of the helicopter was significantly damaged and burned adding that there were no signs of survivors on the site reported ANIAs the Iranian rescue teams located Raisis helicopter no clue of any living persons was reported in the crash according to Iranbased Press TVHe did not give further detail but said the condition is not good state news agency IRNA reported 73 rescue teams are present in the search area of the helicopter in Tawal village with advanced and specialized equipment he added reported ANIRaisi was returning to Iran following a visit to Azerbaijan when his helicopter came down in bad weather conditions on Sunday afternoonNine people were on the helicopter that crashed in northwest Iran on Sunday including three officials an imam and flight and security team members as reported by Tasnim NewsThe IRGCrun media outlet Sepah reported the nine included Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati Tabrizs Friday prayer Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem as well as a pilot copilot crew chief head of security and another bodyguard reported ANIFor the first time Iran is going through such a situation The country has never seen something similar with the president and the foreign minister disappearing in a helicopter crash reported Al JazeeraThe incident sparked global attention and the foreign countries extended help with the search operations The Turks sent their drones and the Russians sent their equipment while the global leaders and the people of Iran prayed for the Iranian president and the other people on board reported ANIWith inputs from ANI